Memories from Western Air Temple
by DarthAnimus
Summary: The amazing thing about openly caring about the people around you, is that you learn to care about yourself as well. Zuko had never truly known companionship before he joined the Avatar. Zukaang
1. Fear

Author's Notes: This fic is originally a one-shot collection from livejournal but I decided that I might as well start putting this thing up here as well. I will be putting the chapters up in the chronological order in order to simplify things.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender or the characters.

**This chapter takes place directly after the episode "Western Air Temple"**

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 1**

**Fear**

Zuko really did not feel like going to dinner. He was no fool; he knew very well what would be waiting for him if he went. In addition to the waterbender girl's hate-filled gazes everyone else would be looking at him with varying degrees of distrust and anger. But if he did not go to dinner then he would still need to face the same thing at breakfast. It would probably be for the best if he simply went out and faced his new situation.

Even though he had made up his mind, it was still with a great mental struggle still going on in his mind that Zuko stepped out of the room assigned to him and made his way towards the sounds of cheerful chatter that came from right outside the hallway.

Pausing in the doorway Zuko hesitated once more as he watched the Avatar's friends gathered around the campfire. He felt a lot more in the shadows that he currently inhabited. It was where he felt safe for a while longer.

"Oi, Firecracker!" a voice suddenly called and Zuko jumped in surprise at the loud volume. He turned his head into the direction of the person who had called and saw a pair of pale blue eyes staring as much at him as a blind person could. The earthbender girl grinned crookedly at him as she spoke again: "Finally decided to join us then?"

And with those words everyone was looking right at Zuko, robbing the prince of his refuge. Seeing no reason to pretend that he had not heard the call the boy sighed and made his way towards the fire with everyone watching him intently, not counting the blind girl who patted the ground beside her and said: "There's free space right here."

Not seeing any plausible reason for declining the offer Zuko scuffled to the spot indicated for him and sat down, deep inside feeling immensely grateful for a chance to sit next to someone who did not hate him with a passion. Another child, one even smaller than the earthbender girl, was sitting on Zuko's left side, peering at him with curious black eyes from underneath a helmet far too big for him. Not sure about how he should feel about the other studying him Zuko glanced around the circle once before focusing his gaze on the comforting flames of the campfire. There was one thing that would not betray him, fire.

"There you go", came the girl's voice from Zuko's right and the prince turned his head to meet a bowl of some kind of soup. With hesitant hands Zuko reached over and took a hold of the bowl, mumbling as strong of a 'thank you' as he dared to. He felt the water tribe girl study him intently and maliciously as he began to eat slowly and Zuko guessed that the brunette must have been the one to make dinner and was keeping an eye out for any action from Zuko that could be interpreted as an insult to her cooking.

"You're really a prince?" a quiet voice questioned and Zuko shot a startled look at the small boy on his other side. The black eyes were wide and his mouth gaped slightly in awe. Zuko's own eyes went back to the bowl in his hands and he muttered in embarrassment: "I don't think I'm considered much of a prince after knocking the Fire Lord into a wall."

What Zuko had intended to be a line to put an end to the discussion seemed to only capture the small boy's interest more as the child gasped out: "You knocked him into a wall? How did you manage that?"

As Zuko frowned at the memory of his confrontation with his father he became aware of how the only sounds within the group were the crackles of the fire and the firebender realized that everyone was now listening very intently indeed. Trying to ignore that new revelation Zuko turned his eyes to the sincerely curious face in front of him and started to speak: "Ozai drew lightning at me when I was leaving and I simply redirected it back at him. It wasn't really a fight or anything."

"Now wait just a moment", came that voice Zuko had started to dread ever since that threat on his life some time prior. The raven-haired teen's eyelid lowered in resignation and Zuko turned his face to the waterbender as the girl spoke: "Are you telling me that you could have ended this war and you _didn't_? What is wrong with you?"

There was no way Zuko could even consider trying to act civil with the girl after a question like that. Having lost his appetite Zuko placed his bowl down with a bit more force than was necessary before snarling at the girl: "I think there would be something wrong with me if I had attacked him. Unless you forgot, _he is my father_!" And with that Zuko had stood up and stormed away from the firelight, into the darkness of the night.

He had really lost his temper back there and Zuko knew that it would be likely to cause him even more problems with adapting to this situation than he had had before. There was no way that people who were already suspicious of him would accept him any easier if he allowed his temper to flare like that.

"Yo, Firecracker", a voice came and Zuko groaned as he heard the soft pats of bare foot walking along the ground. Refusing to face the earthbender the boy leaned on a stone railing in front of him and kept his eyes focused on the darkness that spread out below.

"Don't ignore me", the girl snapped and the stone railing rose suddenly, knocking Zuko back with enough force to bring the prince falling on his bottom on the ground. It was in this new position that Zuko found himself face to face with icy blue eyes that did not really see him. It was oddly symbolic, and ironic too, how this girl who was the only one willing to come after him twice now was the only one who actually saw the Zuko underneath the role of the Fire Nation prince. The rest were too hurt to even try to look.

"What do you want?" Zuko asked after releasing a deep sigh of resignation. The girl gave him a crooked grin before speaking out: "I came here to make sure that your temper didn't literally explode but now it's obvious that you did not came here to rage, but to bawl."

"I am not crying!" Zuko snapped in indignation as he glared at the earthbender in front of him, only just now noticing that the girl's skin tone was unusually light for a citizen of the Earth Kingdom. It was almost like she had grown up underground. The thought caused Zuko to scoff but the girl ignored the sound as she uttered: "But you feel like you would want to, right?"

It took Zuko a moment to remember what they had been talking about and when he did, he frowned deeply and turned his glare to the ground in front of him. He was lonely, so what? That did not mean that he wanted to curl up in a corner somewhere and cry. No, he wanted to simply hide from the accusing glares until he was strong enough to take them.

There was a frustrated sigh from the earthbender before the raven-haired girl spoke out again: "Did you once even think about really attacking your father?"

"Of course I did", Zuko muttered darkly and quietly, wondering why he was so reluctant to admit that. It was not like that waterbending witch was anywhere close by to give him grief about the admission.

The younger party in their group of two clicked her tongue before asking: "Why did you decide against it?"

Zuko snorted, the answer so obvious to him, but replied nonetheless: "It was not my place to strike him down."

"Ah", came the girl's voice and she sat down next to Zuko with her knees drawn to her chest and feet planted firmly on the ground. "This is that destiny stuff, isn't it?" Before Zuko could give an answer she continued: "You still believe that we are all placed here for a specific purpose?"

"There has been nothing else for me to believe in", Zuko replied simply as his eyes moved to his hands placed on his lap. "All my life I have been struggling to find my destiny and this has to be it. It is to help the Avatar reach _his_ destiny."

"He is much more than just the Avatar, you know", the prince's companion spoke and Zuko looked at her in curiosity, wondering what could possibly be more important than being the Avatar. His question got a, to him, very surprising answer when the girl said: "He is a child and his name is Aang. We all have names and you are going to have to learn to use them." That last bit was spoken in a stern tone of voice and then the girl poked a thumb at her chest. "I, for one, am Toph."

Zuko scoffed in disgust at the irresponsible view, his eyes once again leaving the girl's face as he muttered: "His position as the Avatar should come first. He has a duty to the world."

A surprisingly strong hand landed on Zuko's arm, giving it a firm squeeze before the earthbender spoke in a tone of voice that was very similar to the element she commanded, unrelenting: "You are wrong. He is Aang first and foremost. He's a frightened child."

"And what about me, then?" Zuko snarled as he whirled his head back to the girl, his hair whipping his face at the suddenness of the action. His whole being was now the embodiment of his own element, feeble at the face of darkness and cold and unable to hold on without anything to aid him, and he breathed out a broken whisper: "I have been nothing but scared for years on end and now I'm more scared than ever before."

"There we have it", Toph spoke gently and released her bruising grip on Zuko's arm, patting the appendage in a friendly manner instead. "Raw and honest, perfect. Now we can head back and see if there is still enough food for you since Sokka probably ate the remains of your previous plate." And with that the girl stood up, her hand slipping to wrap around Zuko's thin wrist and forcing the older teen to follow after her. Zuko struggled to stand up before the girl started to drag him like a rug sack and, as they neared the campfire, Zuko felt a lot less apprehensive as he had had before. It might have had something to do with the fact that he was not arriving alone this time or it could have been because he could now see that all the faces lit by the flames were those of children. It might have also been because of those both factors combined, however, and Zuko became aware of the fact that he actually knew the names of the Water Tribe siblings without having ever realized it before.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: Zuko-angst ahoy! The part I am most satisfied with is the third last and second last paragraphs. I love it how the characters can be so much like their elements. Like, for example, Katara can display both unrelenting anger and unmatched kindness, in the same way water can also display extreme opposites.


	2. Tentative Contact

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 2**

**Tentative Contact**

The first morning Zuko spent with the Avatar and his friends was a lot less awkward of an occasion than dinner from the previous night. For one thing, the sun renewed Zuko's spirit and the daylight made the temple look a lot less threatening.

"Good morning, everyone", Zuko spoke out as he walked out through the temple entrance. There were glances towards him and a couple of half-hearted replied but Toph actually gave him a smile and replied: "Morning, Firecracker."

"Good morning, Zuko", came another voice, its tone friendly even though hesitant and Zuko looked at deep grey eyes and offered a weak smile back fore making his way to sit beside Toph, much like the previous night.

Thinking of the Avatar by a name seemed to be much easier to do now that he could see the boy's face clearly and so, when he realized that Aang was looking at him expectantly, he decided to try it: "What is it, Aang?"

The young airbender looked startled for a moment, probably because of the casual address, and then flushed in embarrassment at having been caught staring. It was with a nervous smile that the boy answered: "I was wondering if we could get started on some firebending today."

Opening his mouth to reply, Zuko did not get to speak out even the first syllable of his answer when the waterbender, Katara, cut in with a stern tone: "I'd prefer if you did not start firebending right away."

Both males turned their eyes to the girl and Zuko immediately noticed the way blue eyes glared at him. The waterbender did not trust Zuko around Aang, obviously. He could see where the girl was coming from with this but this really was not the time or place for the girl to have such doubts in him when Aang needed to learn to bend fire as soon as possible.

"How about you give it a few days to let Zuko settle in properly before you begin", Katara suggested and despite the disappointment evident on his face Aang nodded his head in agreement. There was an unspoken addition to the girl's words and Zuko doubted he was the only one who heard them even though the Avatar did not. What Katara had really meant with her words was: 'I want to see how well Zuko does before you begin.' It was obvious that the waterbender meant for these few days to be a test of sorts for Zuko, so that she could see just how serious he was about his intentions.

Next thing Zuko knew the girl still glowering at him shoved a bowl of something akin to porridge at his face and the firebender got distracted from his thoughts when he had to grab the bowl quickly in order to avoid the scenario where its contents spilled into his lap. Deciding that it would be better that he avoided any and all conflicts with Katara, the prince began eating his breakfast without another word.

There seemed to be a somewhat tense atmosphere in the air, probably caused by the others also being aware of Katara's hostility. It was actually very surprising that the one to break through the tension was the smallest member of the group, the little boy whose name Zuko had not heard yet. The child's voice was actually very friendly when he asked Zuko if the teen would like to join him and Teo, the boy in the wheelchair, on a trip to look around the temple a bit. It offered the perfect opportunity to avoid Katara for the day and Zuko agreed with a nod. The boy smiled widely at him and offered a small hand for Zuko to shake and said: "I'm The Duke."

Giving a shaky attempt at smile Zuko accepted the hand and gave it a squeeze before giving a try at starting a conversation: "How did you end up joining the team, The Duke?"

The boy's face brightened even more and The Duke started a tale that was the perfect distraction from the apprehension boiling in Zuko's stomach: "I used to belong to this group of freedom fighters when I first met Aang and the others and when we heard about the invasion plan, me and Pipsqueak joined them." The Duke's face gained a thoughtful, even slightly worried, look then. "The leader of our group was called Jet." Zuko's hands jerked at the name and the firebender hissed, hoping that no one noiced. "He was so brave and much stronger than any of us and he was as much our older brother as he was out leader. He left to find new members for our group but never returned." The sad tone was only barely noticed by Zuko, who was struggling to control his breathing. There was no way it could be the same person... And then The Duke spoke the words that caused the prince to pale: "If there was one weakness that Jet had it was his rather obsessive nature. He would never see any citizen of the Fire Nation as anything but an enemy, even the civilians." The boy looked at Zuko with a desperate gaze. "That doesn't mean he is a bad person, though! He's just a bit closed-minded."

Smiling weakly at the memory of Jet's friendly smile and taking a shivering breath when it morphed into a look of hate Zuko shook his head to clear his mind before touching his fingers to The Duke's arm briefly as he spoke gently: "Of course it doesn't." The firebender then jerked himself away from the boy, not willing to think about the scruffy-looking rebel that had attempted to befriend him. He proceeded to eat his breakfast once more and noticed Sokka's blue eyes look at him curiously, the Water Tribe boy's expression one of deep thought.

Zuko glared at his porridge intently, determined to not let that look bother him. There was no way anyone could know that he had ever as much as met Jet; even if the rebel had ever mentioned him, he had only known Zuko as Lee. It was not possible for Sokka to simply guess that Zuko had any connection at all to Jet. But still, the firebender had to wonder; what had happened to Jet to keep him from returning to his friends and comrades? Jet was obsessive to a fault but he would never abandon his people.

Shaking his head once more in irritation Zuko shovelled porridge into his mouth, determined to stop thinking about such things. Who cared what had happened to Jet? The freedom fighter had been nothing but a thorn in Zuko's side ever since he had started suspecting him to be a firebender. Before that... Zuko snarled as his thoughts wondered once more. Jet had never been his friend; he had never even known the first thing about Zuko. There was no reason for him to worry since he had no attachment to the other. He should just forget about it.

A melancholic look passed on Zuko's face as he bit back a sigh. Why was it so hard for him to forget? Why could he never forget his painful memories?

_**To be continued...**_


	3. Collision Course

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 3**

**Collision Course**

Moving his arms in a wide circle Aang commanded the water like Katara had often instructed him during their lessons. The water only rippled at first, like always, and then a whirlpool began to form on the pond's surface. Aang had mastered the technique a week ago but was determined to hone his abilities until the summoning of a whirlpool could be done a lot faster. He would not have time to use the technique in a battle situation if he could not reduce the time that it took to create a whirl.

The pond was stationed at a fairly secluded place at the lowermost levels of the Western Air Temple. It was not really a pond as much as a pool, or at least it had been a pool at one point of time. The water was a lot lower than what it had been the temple was still inhabited by Air Nomads and some water plants had managed to begin growing around the pool, even if most of it was just moss.

There was really no reason to call the pool and pond, other than that Aang wished to. He liked to think that pools and fountains were all stationed on the upper levels of the temple while the areas nearest to the drop below had grown wild during the years. There were not many natural formations immediately close to the temple; the cliffs above had nothing but short grass covering them. But, even if so, the lower levels of the temple were filled with plants and sometimes Aang even came across and animal that inhabited the seemingly dead temple.

Just as Aang got ready to push the whirl to the other side of the pond a strange sound reached his ears. It was the sound of cloth being run across stone, harshly. And it was followed by an echoing yelp that alarmed Aang of an approaching person right before said person crashed on top of him seemingly out of nowhere.

With a strangled 'oomph' Aang fell sideways into the water, pushed down by a larger body. Water rushed into the airbender's mouth and nostrils and he quickly lifted himself up on his elbows in order to bring his head above surface. Gasping for breath the young Avatar met the shell-shocked expression of one former Fire Nation prince.

Lifting himself up with shaky arms, Zuko seemed to still be recovering from the drop he had experienced. The firebender swayed ever so slightly and his forehead bumped against Aang's gently, the wet raven locks sticking to his face awkwardly. Aang lifted a hand and brushed the hair away from golden eyes and Zuko blinked a couple of times before uttering: "Remind me to never do that again."

"What happened?" Aang questioned, genuinely curious about what had brought the prince falling into his lap. Zuko leaned back a bit, apparently becoming aware of their close proximity only then, and spoke: "I was with Teo and The Duke and we were investigating some of the hallways when we came across a chute of sorts. Somehow I got volunteered into checking out where it lead to."

Releasing a bright laugh Aang smiled widely as he commented: "I wonder how they tricked you into that."

"I'm not really quite sure", came Zuko's mumbled reply, followed by the prince looking at him oddly as he questioned: "What are you doing?"

"Huh?" Aang uttered and only then became aware of how he had pressed his chest against Zuko's. The water they were lying in was cold and subconsciously Aang had sought out the firebender's body warmth. He had to wonder if high body temperature was a common firebender feature.

"You're warm", Aang explained simply and shrugged his shoulders. "The water, in turn, is cold. You do the math."

Blinking in surprise Zuko then sighed in an amused manner and shook his head. The prince then directed his gaze back to Aang as he asked: "What were you doing in a pool in the first place?"

"Waterbending practise", Aang replied easily and Zuko's eyes widened in alarm as he glanced around frantically. The airbender guessed that the older boy was worried that Katara might show up and decide that he was too close to Aang and attempt to clobber him.

"I'm practising by myself", Aang assured the raven-haired teen and saw the clear relief on Zuko's face. "Katara's somewhere upward."

There was a nod from Zuko and the firebender stood up with a slight groan, probably caused by his new bruises protesting the movement. Then the prince offered Aang a hand.

Even when surprised by the gesture Aang did not waste any time before he grabbed a hold of the offered appendage and allowed the taller boy pull him up from the water. It was rather uncomfortable, being so wet, but a quick burst of airbended wind would fix that up right away after the two of them climbed out of the pool.

Zuko made his way to the somewhat cracked edge of the pool and pulled himself up to dry ground. Then the prince offered a hand to Aang once more and this time around the smaller boy had half-expected the gesture and readily grabbed the helping hand, having the stronger male pull him up as well, another hand touching his hip in passing to make sure he did not lose his balance and fall back into the water.

Once he had his hand free again Aang swung both of his hands briefly and with a warm burst of air the two boys' clothes became mostly dry. That done Aang glanced up and indeed saw a round hole in the ceiling above, Zuko's entry point. The monks who had lived at the temple had apparently used it as a shortcut to the pool.

"We should probably go tell Teo and The Duke where the chute leads to", Aang suggested. A scoff from Zuko answered him, followed by the firebender grumbling: "I think we should let them think they've killed me off a while longer. Maybe they'll learn something then."

A series of chuckles came from Aang then and even Zuko himself smiled thinly, even thought the expression was only fleeting. Patting the taller boy's arm during his last chortles Aang decided that one of these days Zuko would laugh with him.

_**To be continued...**_


	4. Relations

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 4**

**Relations**

"Aang?" Aang glanced up when Zuko called his name, turning his head to see the fire prince approaching him across the temple courtyard. Giving a welcoming smile to the older boy Aang turned around on his seat perched on a fallen pillar and questioned: "What do you need, Zuko?"

The firebender finally reached the shorter teen and crossed his arms over his chest as he began speaking: "Usually there is a sanctum in temples, one dedicated to the past Avatars. Is there one here as well?"

"Um, yeah. I think so", Aang replied with a nod. He wondered why Zuko would ask about something like this as he continued: "I don't know any reason for there not to be one."

"You wouldn't happen to know where I should look for it, would you?" Zuko questioned and Aang scratched the back of his head as he thought.

"It's probably pretty close to the centre of the construction", Aang finally replied and looked at Zuko. "It probably has an elemental lock, though, so only an airbender can open the door."

"I see…" Zuko muttered, glancing to the side as he grit his teeth for a moment. Then the golden eyes returned their focus to Aang and the prince spoke, almost shyly: "I don't suppose you could…"

"Oh, I'd love to come along and open the door for you!" Aang exclaimed in a cheerful manner and leaped off the pillar. He then proceeded to grab Zuko by the arm and started to drag the firebender inside the temple as he added: "I suppose it would be about time for me to go and see the room myself, since it's sort of a habit of mine to visit them." The aibender laughed to himself at that but Zuko did not join in. Aang decided to give the other boy some more time before expecting something like that from him.

The countless hallways of the temple were in decent shape so the two boys did not need to find any alternative paths as Aang led their way into the heart of the temple that could have been considered to be a city with how large it was. After some time Aang recognized a familiar gate that could have been considered identical to the ones he had seen in other air temples.

Finally releasing his hold of Zuko's arm Aang waved his hand to signal the prince to step back before he used his airbending to open the locks on the doors that opened slowly, creaking all the way in a manner that made both Zuko and Aang cover their ears to block out the worst of the sound.

After the gates were completely open Aang leaped into the doorway and bowed deep as he spoke in jest: "After you."

There was some grumbling from Zuko as the firebender marched past Aang in annoyed haste but the prince stopped short after he had stepped fully into the room. Aang walked up to the taller teen and watched with satisfaction as Zuko gaped at the countless rows of Avatar statues.

"Pretty impressive, don't you think?" Aang questioned with a smile at the room that may have been dusty but was in no way less grand because of it. Beside the aibender Zuko nodded his head before muttering: "It's amazing."

Just when Aang had started to grin at the admission Zuko rushed further into the room, his direction clear to him. Aang darted after the older boy, but the other's longer legs made it hard for Aang to keep up without the use of his air nomad speed.

It was after Zuko had stopped before a specific statue that Aang somewhat realized what Zuko was after. He knew which Avatar was in question even before he was beside Zuko staring up at Avatar Roku's serious face, carved into cold stone.

"Did you know that Sozin ordered almost all images and statues of the Avatars to be destroyed?" Zuko asked without looking at Aang. "This is the first time I get to see what Avatar Roku looked like." There was a tone of awe in Zuko's voice and the prince lifted a hand slowly but dropped it back to his side, as if afraid that some punishment would fall on him if he touched the statue.

"Do you think he sees the world as it is today?" the firebender questioned as he tilted his head to the side, all the while observing the statue before him. "Do you think he sees what we have become?"

Aang did not need to think, he knew. He had talked to Roku on several occasions but Zuko apparently had not thought of that. Just as Aang was about to open his mouth to tell Zuko that Roku indeed could see the world, he was struck by a sudden memory.

"_I can't remember my mother's face all that well anymore", Katara spoke softly as she fingered her necklace with caring fingers. "But I'd still like to think that she can see _me_ even if I can't see her anymore." The girl smiled softly at Aang. "My one wish is that my mother will know what a great bender I've become."_

"He's watching over us", Aang spoke out loud and Zuko's golden gaze turned to meet his pearly grey one. "As far as I know, Roku can see us clearly and isn't disappointed with what he sees."

Even when he did not know the reasons behind Zuko's interest in Roku, Aang could see that something about that answer meant a lot to him, in the same way Katara cared for her mother's memory. And that was enough of a reason to give the other boy reassurance.

Slowly, a smile made its way on Zuko's face and it was not one of those timid smiles that meant that the prince was not sure if he was allowed to wear that expression, but a really wide smile full of gratitude that had Aang grinning right back at the taller teen.

_**To be continued...**_


	5. Sparring Partner

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 5**

**Sparring Partner**

Zuko wondered if anyone else was awake yet. He had been lying in bed staring at the ceiling for what seemed like hours, waiting for the sounds of laughter and chatter that accompanied breakfast time. He had not heard a single whisper signalling of anyone being awake, however, but he was aware of the sound of footsteps approaching as soon as they came close enough.

The arrival paused at the doorway and a moment later Toph's by now familiar voice bellowed: "Wakey, wakey Prince Charming!"

With a groan at both the title the girl gave his as well as the loud tone, Zuko sat up in bed a glowered uselessly at the earthbender before grumbling with distaste: "I am awake, Toph. What do you want?"

"Oh, I knew you were awake", Toph assured in a bored tone. "I was just wondering how long you were going to lie here pretending that you weren't." The girl's tone turned curious. "Why are you just lying there anyway?"

"Katara doesn't want me awake before everyone else", Zuko answered truthfully. "Because of that I simply stay here until everyone has woken up."

"Oh", Toph said in a tone that indicated that she did not really approve with Zuko approach on the matter. Then she continued in a nonchalant manner: "Then I guess you might be interested to know that everyone had woken up ages ago."

"That's odd", Zuko commented as he climbed out of bed, staring to pick up his clothes. "I didn't hear anything."

"Because today is shopping day", Toph replied easily. "Twinkle Toes and a couple of others are going to go find a town to do some shopping for supplies so breakfast had to be eaten quickly so that everyone could help pack."

"I see", Zuko grumbled as he contemplated whether it was fitting for him to change in Toph's presence or not. The girl solved the problem for him, however, as she turned around and walked out of the room, calling over her shoulder: "I'll snag you something to eat while you get dressed."

"Thanks", Zuko called back before beginning to pull a shirt over his head. It would figure that just as he thought that he was finding a routine that should keep him from ending up in any conflicts then suddenly something like this came up.

Jumping on one foot while he pulled his second boot on, Zuko made his way to the doorway of his room, running a hand through his messy bed hair before starting to walk down the path Toph had went moments ago. When the prince came out of the temple he headed for the girl in question, who came him a bowl and spoke: "You start eating while I'll go make sure that the take off will be without any problems." The earthbender grinned crookedly. "Those guys are hopeless without me." And with that she was gone.

After being left to his own devices, Zuko sat down cross-legged on the ground and poked around his bowl of whatever with a spoon. Honestly, did this group never eat anything even remotely substantial? During Zuko's stay they had eaten nothing but soup, porridge and this suspicious goop that might have been leftovers from the previous morning. Still, everyone else had eaten it and, judging from Toph's normal behaviour, had survived it. And so, it was in the middle of eating the day's equivalent of breakfast when Toph came back and immediately spoke in a commanding tone: "Come on, Firecracker. Let's spar."

A sigh came from Zuko before the firebender spoke in a tone of distaste: "I don't think I should. I mean, Katara doesn't want me firebending."

The smirk on Toph's face was definitely mischievous as she said: "She's not here, is she?" The smirk turned into a bull-blown grin. "No. She left with Snoozles and the others to buy some supplies from a town. The trip is so long that they will gone for most of the day." The earthbender looked like she was about to burst into giggles. "Sugar Queen will never know."

Running a hand through his hair Zuko looked at the girl from the corner of his eye as he spoke: "You do realize that firebending leaves marks, right? She's bound to pick those up, not to mention the smell of burnt things."

A heavily exaggerated sigh came from Toph, followed by the girl exclaiming: "Honestly, when did you turn into such a pansy? You're never going to fit in if you keep bending over backwards to please Sweetness." The girl frowned at his general direction in a displeased manner. "Trust me on this, the more you are like yourself the quicker you'll fit in. Grow some backbone, will you?"

Shaking his head Zuko gave a sad look that he knew the other could not see and replied: "I'm sorry, Toph, but I really don't think that I can do that."

Next the girl groaned in frustration but finally gave in as she spoke in an exasperate manner: "Fine, fine. Let's practise some non-bending combat then. I guess it would be good for us to work on that as well." The girl was almost pouting by then but Zuko knew that Toph would not be caught death wearing such an expression. He smiled slightly to himself as he said: "Agreed", and proceeded to finish his breakfast, which had cooled down into a disgusting glob by then. But he would have to eat it, since he would definitely need the energy later on.

As soon as Zuko had set his bowl down he was forced upwards when the ground beneath him lifted him from his sitting position into a standing one. Then he got roughly grabbed by his arm as Toph dragged him into an open space that they could practise on.

Zuko drew his body into a battle ready position and watched Toph spread her posture. Suddenly the boy was reminded of the earthbender's exceptional strength and was also awfully aware of the girl's short stature. He coughed nervously and then uttered: "I feel like I'm at a slight disadvantage here."

"Oh? You fear my superior skills that much?" Toph questioned, her wide grin somehow making it into her tone of voice as well. Zuko scoffed at the words and then snapped back: "Actually, I was worried that you might hit me below the belt by accident, being so awfully short."

"Watch it, buddy", Toph snarled in a menacing manner. "You make another comment like that and I will be _aiming_ for your crotch." The girl's tone was dead serious and Zuko coughed into his fist before mumbling weakly: "Got it."

Without any further word the girl rushed at Zuko and the prince twirled to the side on a way to dodge a kick aimed at his knee. He turned to launch his own attack, kicking his leg in an arch meant to make the girl lose her footing. Toph stepped back easily, avoiding the attack and jumped forward to head butt Zuko's stomach. Knowing very well how much that would hurt, Zuko leaped up and barely avoided the girl, who smacked on the ground with a heavy thump.

An angry yell reached Zuko's ears only a couple of moments before a boulder of earth struck out to hit him, Toph apparently having accidentally lost her temper when she could not hit him. Zuko jumped up, grabbing the rising edge with his hands and allowing the momentum to throw him into the air so that he could land on his feet a short distance away. He took a couple of staggering steps back to regain his balance and heard Toph call out: "Sorry, I lost my temper there for a moment." The girl's tone turned into one of amusement: "But, man, Firecracker. I think I might have chosen the wrong nick-name for you." She was now approaching the firebender and smirked teasingly. "You should be called Twinkle Toes Junior."

Zuko scoffed, something that Toph seemed to be good at making him do, and growled out menacingly: "Don't you dare."

The girl continued to smirk, not at all affected by Zuko's tone before she sang: "We'll see…"

Rolling his eyes Zuko brought his hands to his hips as he questioned: "How come you have such a nasty stroke anyway?"

"I used to participate in earthbending tournaments in order to find some thrill", Toph replied easily. "I never got used to losing, I guess." The girl paused thoughtfully. "You do know what those tournaments are about, right?"

"Yes, yes", Zuko assured the girl. "In my nation they're called the sport of barbarians but I think questionable culture events are better than suppressed culture events."

The serious look that came on Toph's face told Zuko that the girl understood exactly what the prince had meant with suppressed culture. As much as it surprised him that a native of the Earth Kingdom could understand the hardship the Fire Nation was also going through, the firebender did not want to dwell on this topic of conversation and forced his tone to sound somewhat cheerful and friendly as he called: "Are you absolutely certain that your hostility had nothing to do with that payback about your feet that you mentioned before?"

Laughter came from Toph then, telling Zuko the real answer to the question even as the girl said: "Don't be silly." The earthbender laughed again before speaking: "How about we have another go at it? I'll promise to keep myself in check this time around."

"Even though I find that an empty promise, I might as well", Zuko said in a tone of voice that was playfully put-out, and actually earned a giggle out of Toph before the girl charged at him again.

&

It was almost lunchtime when Zuko finally got enough and sweating and panting he sat down on the rocky ground to stretch his sore legs. Toph had tired out some time previously and the firebender had practised his fighting katas until his muscles had also been too sore to keep on exercising his body. Still, despite the throbbing ache in his legs and arms, Zuko felt absolutely fantastic. With a satisfied sigh the prince leaned backwards and lied down on his back, staring at the blue sky.

"That was fun", came Toph's voice from a short distance away and Zuko hummed in agreement. The girl had actually kept true to her word about not using eartbending again, despite Zuko's doubts, and after she had tired out she had sat down with her feet planted on the ground to observe Zuko's firebending forms, even though no fire had been formed. After a while of battling imaginary opponents Zuko had forgotten all about his silent observer and had gone through moves that had been memorized by both his mind during years of hard training.

"You know, you don't move like most firebenders", Toph commented suddenly and Zuko lifted himself up on his arms, looking at the girl in question. Toph naturally did not see him move but felt it anyway and continued: "I've faced a few firebenders and they all stomped their feet a lot when they fought. You, however, step a lot lighter than the most."

"That's because balance is important to firebending", Zuko explained. "It's important to have one's feet firmly on the ground. I've fought so much on surfaces that can't be trusted that I've learned to find balance in other ways." The prince smiled to himself slightly. "It's a good style since it gives me the opportunity to use my legs and feet for attacking as well."

A thoughtful hum came from Toph and then the girl spoke again: "Your sister uses her feet some as well, so I guess she is also utilizing the use of her feet." Zuko frowned at the memory of the girl in question but was still listening when Toph continued: "But she moves so heavily. It's a lot different from you." The earthbender trailed off then, like she had something more to say but was not sure if she should speak. Zuko was not so curious as to pry and lied down again, fully planning to enjoy the calm atmosphere some more.

Just as Zuko allowed his eyes to slid shut Toph's voice came once more, this time full of uncharacteristic wonderment and hesitance: "I never thought there would come a day when I would meet beautiful firebending."

Snapping his eyes open and jolting upwards Zuko shot a wide-eyed stare at Toph and hissed out breathlessly: "What did you just say?"

The prince never got an answer out of the girl when a sudden cheerful yell caught their attention: "Zuko! Toph! We're back!" And immediately afterwards Zuko saw the orange bundle, which was the Avatar, approaching them at top speed. Standing up to greet the enthusiastic boy Zuko soon regretted the action when he fell back on the ground with an airbender on top of him.

"Hey there, Twinkle Toes", came Toph's voice then and Zuko swore he could hear laughter in her voice, aimed at him predicament no doubt. "Did you guys bring lunch with you? I'm starving."

"Oh yeah, lunchtime!" Aang cheered and got off of Zuko. The prince immediately seized the offered opportunity and stood up, not about to have anyone walk in and see him lying on the ground in such a disgraceful manner.

Soon enough the whole group was having lunch together and Toph entertained everyone with a wild description of her and Zuko's non-bending brawl. Zuko was almost smiling to himself, completely comfortable with letting the earthbender do all the talking when the line 'He stood no chance', forced him to speak up: "Excuse me, miss Pebble, but I believe it was you who got so frustrated with failing to hit me that she used her earthbending to try and land a hit." The firebender smirked to himself in satisfaction when he finished: "And even then you missed."

"I warned you about the short-cracks, didn't I?" Toph snapped with no real malice from across the circle the group was positioned in. "Next time we go at it I might land some unpleasant hits, if you know what I mean."

"Repeating the same conversation bores me", Zuko shot back with a faked, loud yawn and Toph released a growl before muttering: "Whatever", and leaving the rest of the party looking between the two with looks of various degrees of confusion and utter bewilderment. Apparently no one had exected anyone to be able to get along with Zuko so well so soon. Still, Zuko was too happy about the situation to be bothered by the stares.

The dumbfounded silence was then briefly broken by Toph's quiet mutter of: "Junior", and Zuko was not willing to take that jab standing down. With his face twisting into a look that was a mix of annoyance and amusement Zuko pelted the girl with a nut, the projectile smacking the earthbender in the middle of her forehead, causing the girl to release an indignant yelp. There was actually a couple of chuckles around the circle then and, coming from right beside the Fire Prince, Aang's merry laughter was heard the loudest, the sound ringing brightly and causing Zuko to feel warm within his chest.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: For some reason, I like the thought of Toph gaining extra insight on firebenders and the Fire Nation in general, being part of the Earth Kingdom and all.


	6. Worthless

Author's Notes: This chapter takes place during the episode "Firebending Masters". It's a missing scene of sorts.

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 6**

**Worthless**

The whole day Zuko had attempted to summon a flame and had been unsuccessful every single time. No matter how well he controlled his breathing or how deeply he concentrated, the flames he created paled in comparison to those he had used to be able to produce.

How in the world was he supposed to teach the Avatar, 'Aang' his mind now corrected him, how to firebend if he was not able to do it himself? What had happened after the last time he had bended to make him lose all of the abilities he had worked years to master? How could they have just vanished within the span of a few days?

It was obvious that mulling about all those questions was not going to help him. There were no answers to be found within his own mind, despite what his uncle had told him in forms of different metaphors during the years they had travelled.

Zuko dug the heel of his right hand into his eye, cursing the insistent itch that had formed there the moment he had thought about his uncle. He was so very lost without the man there to give him guidance and cryptic advice. Even the mere presence of the tea-loving ex-general would have been a blessing to the tormented prince.

He needed to tell Aang. Zuko shivered in a wave of mixed feelings at that thought. The young Avatar should have already figured out that something was wrong with Zuko's firebending after the display the prince had put up earlier that day. But, considering the boy's positive attitude, Aang was probably convinced that it had only been a fluke and that Zuko would be back to his normal fiery self the next day.

Maybe, if they all put their heads together, they cold find an answer to Zuko's predicament? The prince snorted before folding his hands on top of his knees and lowering his chin onto the pile on limbs. After receiving the cold shoulder from Katara for days now Zuko seriously doubted that the girl would lend him any assistance. And even though her brother had not displayed open animosity towards Zuko, the firebender could tell that the warrior did not consider him welcome in their group either. As for Teo and Haru, the latter did not even talk to Zuko, let alone try to make his stay at the temple any easier. Teo seemed to tolerate him well enough, though, but they were not exactly friends either. The Duke might have supported him along with Toph but Zuko did not exactly feel comfortable with being defended by the frailest-looking members of the group.

And as for Aang, Zuko groaned as he buried his face in his arms at the thought. Aang would be so disappointed in him. Why would the airbender keep an enemy around if he was not going to be of any use or, worse yet, was going to need taking care of? He had come after the Avatar to help him, not to get helped by him. Katara could probably easily convince the younger boy to kick Zuko out of the team now that he had become a liability.

With a sigh Zuko unravelled the cocoon his body had wrapped itself into. He sat leaning against one knee that was propped up while his other leg crossed beneath it and pushed a finger into the dirt on the ground. Slowly, the prince's hand moved, leaving behind spirals in the dirt. When the teen was done, he pulled his hand back and glanced at the flame he had drawn.

It was not the Fire Nation symbol, not was it the symbol of the fire element that his uncle had drawn for him once. The figure in the dirt was at first unfamiliar to even Zuko himself and it took a moment for him to remember why it was familiar to him at all.

Thoughts drifting to the artefact tucked away safely in the backpack that was inside the temple Zuko had to really wonder what he was so afraid of. He remembered how Aang had taken him into the inner sanctum of the temple only a couple of days ago. He remembered the young boy's kind mannerism and friendly words and gestures. Those memories were what Zuko needed to realize that he could trust Aang not to abandon him in his time of need.

Getting up from his seat on the ground Zuko turned to where he knew Aang and his friends were still awake. Even if they did not consider him to be their friend, he himself did, and he was not going to keep them in the dark anymore.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: This will be the last update of the week, sorry about that. However, the story is currently in a phase where reviewing really will have me updating more frequently. No, I'm not saying that I will keep you guys from chapters if you don't comment. You can't make me update slower, but, starting next week you will be able to make me update _quicker._


	7. Reasons and Motivations

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 7**

**Reasons and Motivations**

Zuko felt awfully uncomfortable when he stood a short distance away from Aang. They were just about to start their first actual firebending lesson and Aang was observing him intently, almost greedily. Now that look Zuko could handle; it was the murderous one behind him that gave him problems.

Earlier the same morning, when Zuko had announced that Aang would start firebending that day, Katara had insisted that she came to watch the session. And she was clearly ready to attack Zuko the instant he did something wrong. The Duke had also come but the boy was merely there to see Zuko's fighting, since the boy seemed to admire the firebender for reason unknown to the teen.

Still, because of the audience Zuko felt like a fish out of water and was starting to consider cutting the lesson short. But the truth was that Zuko would never do that; he would not disappoint Aang when the boy had been looking so much forward to this.

It was an awfully hot day and Zuko would have normally taken off his shirt before starting exercises, but the prince was not about to expose himself in front of Katara, pardon his modest upbringing. Zuko comforted himself by thinking that he would be taking a dip in the river down below when this was over and done with.

"How long do you think it will be before I will be shooting lighting out of my fingertips?" Aang questioned suddenly and Zuko faltered in the middle of taking his firebending stance. He turned his face to the boy and glowered at him in a manner that had the Avatar looking slightly nervous and growled out: "I wouldn't know. _I_ don't know how to do that."

Intently ignoring the sounds coming from Katara at that admission Zuko turned his eyes away from Aang so that the boy would not see the intense look of displeasure on his face that would have been directed at Katara if Zuko had wanted to start a fight. But he really did not wish to start fighting with the waterbender so he took a deep breath before offering: "I can teach you how to redirect lightning, however, and that is a very useful technique against the Fire Lord." Zuko had taken an avoidance to calling Ozai his father for reasons he was not about to investigate just yet. There were more important matters to deal with now.

"Okay", Aang said with an eager nod. "We will be doing fireballs today then?"

Zuko hummed an affirmation and then took the stance, waiting for Aang to mimic him before starting to speak: "Whenever creating a flame you will need to breathe out. Fire is the only element where you have to create your weapon yourself and it is also the one most difficult to control." There was a sound from Aang, indicating that the boy was listening. "The flame you control needs to be breathed to life, in a sense. That is why controlling the breathing is so important to firebending."

"What about when I'm trying to push back flames?" Aang questioned then. "Will I need to breathe out then as well or do I have to take a breath instead?"

"It doesn't matter", Zuko replied and could not help but smile at the way Aang displayed an open curiosity by asking questions. It made Zuko feel like Aang truly was interested in what he had to teach and it made the prince feel good about himself.

"Now, watch what I do", Zuko instructed. "You pull your fist back while breathing in." Zuko showed the motion with his hand. "And then you strike out while breathing out." Punching empty air, Zuko sent out a volley of flames that dissipated quickly. He turned to Aang and finished: "Do it slowly at first. Give the movements a few practise rounds before trying to actually create a flame."

Aang was nodding his head furiously throughout the time Zuko gave these instructions and the firebender smiled to himself in amusement before speaking out: "Go ahead and give it a try."

With one last nod Aang's face gained a serious, concentrated expression and the boy moved his arm back on forth, breathing in the rhythm of the movement and trying to get the timing to match perfectly. Watching this process for a couple of more minutes Zuko said: "Try to create a flame this time around."

There was a moment of hesitation from Aang before the boy nodded slowly and closed his eyes as he breathed out a deep sigh. Then the Avatar turned serious once more and moved his fist quickly and purposefully, bringing bright flames out in a stream. An incredibly wide and happy smile came to Aang's face and the boy turned his face towards Zuko in an expectant manner. Knowing that the airbender was probably waiting for praise Zuko nodded his head in approval and said: "That was great, Aang, perfect."

The next thing Zuko knew was that he had been tackled to the ground and that his lap was full of an excited Avatar. Feeling his face heat up Zuko quickly placed his hands on Aang's shoulders and started to push in an effort to get the other to stand up, all the while yelling: "That was just one move, you dork! We have a whole lot to do before you're as much as done for the day!" Never mind the need to train, Zuko also wanted the other off of him because of his strange new desire to pull the boy even closer. He was _not_ that affection-starved!

"Fine, fine", Aang finally mumbled in a deflated manner. "But when I get everything right I'm going to get a hug." There was nothing about the statement that was open for discussion. The tone was simply so deadpan that Zuko had to wonder if Aang did everything according to such reward-based motivations. But, then again, was Zuko not doing all of this because of some kind of a merit that waited in the distant future? As soon as Aang became a master of all four elements this war would come to a stop and the forces battling in Zuko's soul would finally leave him be. And that was a goal Zuko intended to reach, no matter what it took.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: I can't believe how much reviews I got! You guys are incredible! And since I hate to disappoint and this is not one of my better chapters, I will be posting two chapters instead of one. This shall be my dedication to all you wonderful reviewers.


	8. You Cast a Shadow

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 8**

**You Cast a Shadow**

Something had happened to Jet, and Aang and his friends knew what it was. Zuko had easily made these two assumptions from the way they acted whenever The Duke got into the mood to tell Zuko about his life as a part of Jet's team of freedom fighters. Zuko always acted politely interested in the topic and that was probably the reason why the small boy talked about it so often. Zuko did not really mind since it was a nice change to not having anyone speak to him at all but the way everyone else started to act solemn whenever Jet was the topic was more than a slight put-off.

The oddly serious atmosphere seemed to surround only the four key members of the group, so Zuko suspected that they were the only ones who knew the secret behind Jet's disappearance. That also meant that they were the only ones Zuko could ask about it. He simply needed to decide which one to ask.

In the end it turned out that Zuko did not need to choose one of the four to ask about the questions on his mind. There was no choice to be made when Zuko was faced with a great opportunity to for him to simply grasp and take advantage of. It was early in the morning that Sokka complained about needing to finally eat some meat and declared that he was going to go hunting that day. Zuko quickly volunteered to tag along, only to get an incredulous look from the self-proclaimed hunter.

"I seriously doubt you could handle something like that, prince boy", Sokka spoke in a manner that indicated that he really would have preferred if Zuko stayed behind. "Do you even have any hunting experience?"

"Well, I'm never going to get any experience unless I come along", Zuko shot back and got a snicker from Toph, followed by the girl speaking out: "He's got a point there, Snoozles."

"Alright, alright", Sokka said with distaste evident in hid voice. "You can help me carry the stuff I will need. Just try not to mess everything up."

"Got it", Zuko said, feeling somewhat amused by the other teen's attitude. It was clear that Sokka took his hunting seriously, probably for more reasons than simply because he preferred eating meat over eating vegetables.

As the two males made their way through the forest near the temple Zuko watched the way Sokka sneaked around carefully. The prince had only ever fished before and even that had been with little success so there were probably quite the few things he could learn from Sokka.

Zuko's thoughts were proven wrong after spending some time on the hunt. Sokka tumbled around quite the bit and did not seem to be able to capture the quick animals living in the bushes. It made Zuko wonder why they did not simply buy meat from the market even if it could be rather expensive.

Since the hunt did not seem to be turning into a successful one Zuko decided to approach the topic of conversation he wanted to discuss. And so, when the two of them were sitting down for a break the prince spoke out: "You've all been acting really strange lately."

"Huh?" Sokka uttered and blinked at him in surprise, clearly not having expected the firebender to speak. "What are you talking about?"

"You, Aang, Katara and Toph have been acting really strange whenever The Duke talks to me about Jet", Zuko explained as he watched the teen sitting on the rock next to his intently. "Something's up and I want to know what it is."

Sokka frowned at the other teen then, his expression something between thoughtful and mildly annoyed. The blue-eyed boy huffed before speaking out: "I don't have to tell you anything, not that you should be interested in something like that anyway."

Now it was Zuko's turn to frown, the one good golden eye narrowing so that it almost matched his scarred one as he asked: "What happened to Jet?" He watched Sokka for a while, until the Water Tribe boy shifted nervously in his seat and that signalled to Zuko that an answer of sorts was finally forthcoming.

"Did you, by any chance, know Jet?" Sokka questioned carefully, his tone bearing a hint of suspicion. A moment passed as Zuko struggled to even out his voice before he answered shortly: "No."

"Then I see no reason to talk about it", came the next words from Sokka and Zuko growled in frustration at the other's refusal to make this easy for him. He also realized that the other had apparently seen through his lie.

Releasing a sigh, Zuko spoke out slowly and chose each word he used carefully: "I ran into a guy named Jet when I was travelling with my uncle and he was a freedom fighter. It seems like too much of a coincidence…" Trailing off the prince thought about the best way to form his curiosity and settled with: "He did not seem like a person who would abandon people who looked up to him for guidance and leadership."

"I guess you do have the right to know…" Sokka muttered, even if a tad reluctantly. He looked at Zuko sternly as he added: "But you will not repeat any of this to The Duke, got it?"

"If it's that bad, then consider my lips to be sealed", Zuko replied easily and waited patiently as Sokka studied his face for signs of insincerity. Seeming to be satisfied with what he saw, Sokka nodded his head to himself and began to speak: "Somehow Jet ended up in Ba Sing Se. I don't know what he was doing there since I never asked and he never elaborated. He seemed alright at first but then we found out that somehow the Dai Li had brainwashed him and made him a puppet."

A wave of disgust welled inside Zuko's stomach. He had had no idea that such inhuman things were going on in Ba Sing Se. In comparison to something like brainwashing, his father's nation-wide propaganda seemed almost nice.

"In the end Jet managed to snap out of it but then", Sokka spoke, but then paused, clearly hesitating, and Zuko knew that something horrible had happened. Finally, having either gathered enough courage to continue or having decided that there was no good ay of saying what he had to say, he finished: "…well, he was killed."

Zuko's hands squeezed the strap of the bag on his shoulder like suffering from a spasm and the teen struggled to keep his face neutral, gritting his teeth like in pain. Softly, hating himself for the gasp that came out with the words, the prince questioned: "How?"

"He was crushed underneath a rock", Sokka uttered in a quiet tone and Zuko could see grief and regret written all over the other boy's posture. "Katara tried to heal him the best she could but it was no use." A shivery sigh came from the dark-skinned teen and Zuko turned his gaze ahead, not wanting to see the usually strong male's tears. "Just, don't tell The Duke, okay?"

When Zuko answered, it was in a voice that was barely above a whisper, and still it was certain that Sokka heard him, for the forest had fallen silent like death.

"I promise."

The following night Zuko slept restlessly, tossing and turning in his bed as his face contorted in agony and sorrow. And in his dreams he saw the same sight over and over again; Zuko saw how two faceless men dragged a young man away, and he saw a pair of black eyes glare at him and blame him for all the wrongs in the world.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: This is the opening chapter to one of the big issues that I will be dealing with in the story. This means that the story will have an angst factor and I apologise for it to all those who don't have a liking to Zuko-angst.


	9. The GreenEyed Monster

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 9**

**The Green-Eyed Monster**

Dinner around the campfire at the evening was probably Aang's favourite part of the day. That was when everyone would share short stories about the things they had done during the day and share jokes that they would all laugh over. Those were the times when the friendship between them all was most apparent, when Aang truly felt that these people were his family.

Only, there was one person who did not once laugh with the others. Aang knew this for a fact for he listened closely to the boy in question, straining to hear any sound that could be interpreted as laughter, but did not hear even the slightest of hums. It was almost like Zuko was trying to keep as silent as possible, which might have actually been a possibility. The prince may have been getting acceptance from most members of their group but was still clearly reluctant to draw attention to himself. Also, Zuko still preferred to sit between The Duke and Toph, like the two younger members of the group offered some kind of a protection.

In truth, Aang had been thinking about Zuko a lot lately. The Avatar wanted to help Zuko fit in with the rest of the group and so he tried to keep a close eye on the way the prince interacted with his friends. The problem seemed to be that Zuko did not feel confident with reaching out to others. Zuko did not push anyone away but he also did not seem to want to initiate anything. And since the others were not comfortable with talking to the firebender, there were not many chances for things to progress between Zuko and the rest of the group. Although, some days ago Zuko had gone out hunting with Sokka and even though the two had come back looking solemn, a strange sense of peace had seemed to settle between them.

Speaking of the teen in question, Sokka had just launched into a detailed description of his last fishing trip that, judging from Katara's amusedly exasperated expression, was more than slightly exaggerated. The girl was always able to tell when her brother was jibbing. Haru, who had gone along for the trip, seemed rather reluctant to comment on the catches that Sokka said had escaped at the last moment, which was probably because he was feeling conflicted between defending his pride and his still-apparent crush on Katara. Aang was not sure how he felt about the latter but was not really bothered by it, probably because Katara did not seem to feel anything but friendship for the earthbending boy.

All thoughts Aang might have still given to the subject were swept away by a strange sound that broke through a brief pause in the tale Sokka was spouting. Aang's, as well as everyone else's, eyes went to the direction of the sound, a strange sputter, to see Zuko covering his mouth with a hand and looking thoroughly embarrassed.

The yellow glow of the flames lit what was visible of Zuko's face and Aang was almost certain that the fire prince's cheeks were coloured red, let it be from embarrassment or from holding back more of those strange sounds Aang was not sure.

Right then Toph leaned in closer to Zuko and muttered something under her breath, her face adorning an absolutely sinister grin that Aang noticed had been there for a while now, and next Zuko let out another strangled noise.

This time around everyone was listening closely and heard the tone of the sound that came from Zuko's covered mouth. Everyone in the group recognized the stifled laugh for exactly what it was and Aang felt a wave of joy at the progress the prince seemed to have made. Still, underneath the happiness Aang's stomach burned like he was having indigestion and the airbender could not help but think that he was supposed to be the one to make Zuko laugh.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: Just in case people are having doubts: this story is not going to have Toko, not even as one-sided. Zuko is simply the angst-ridden teenager older sister Toph has always wanted. And yes, I meant to write 'sister'.

Thanks for all the reviews!


	10. Good and Evil

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 10**

**Good and Evil**

The fur on Appa's back made for a nice surface to lie on; Aang knew this better than anyone. And now he was sharing the experience with his firebending teacher while the sky bison under them floated on the river, releasing a content groan every now and then.

It had taken quite the bit of convincing to get Zuko to agree to cut their bending lesson short and come relax down in the river. From time to time the older male took his duty too seriously as he worked Aang, and even himself, to the point where they would collapse from exhaustion.

That moment lying down with the air temple spreading out above them was nothing like the heated training sessions of the previous days. This was a lot more pleasant and Aang found himself feeling at peace when he listened to Zuko breathe beside him.

"Aang", Zuko spoke out suddenly and the Avatar turned his head to look at the teen, who was frowning at the sky above. Worried about the other's inability to relax Aang questioned: "What's up, Zuko?"

Zuko turned his head and the golden eyes passed across Aang's face momentarily before the raven-haired teen turned his head back to its previous position. Aang wondered about this behaviour and immediately afterwards Zuko spoke: "What do you think about the concept of good and evil?"

"Ah", Aang breathed out, turning his gaze to the air temple as he thought about a good response. There were times, even though few in between, when Zuko would show interest in deep conversation. Aang was not really one for those. He did not like to think about the world too much, since it always caused the bright colours of Aang's thoughts fade away into grey. And yet, as far as Aang knew, Zuko only opened up to such conversations with him.

"I don't think any one person can be completely evil or good", Aang answered finally, the words coming surprisingly easily off his tongue. "Everyone, no matter how bad, has their good moments and even the good have their dark times." Aang closed his eyes briefly as he recalled memories of anger and hatred, but opened them again when he finished: "Everyone has potential for both."

There was a hum from Zuko and Aang turned his head to see the prince still frowning at nothing. Smiling in a friendly manner, even though Zuko did not see it, the airbender asked: "What about you, Zuko? What do you think?"

Silence followed then and Aang was starting to suspect that Zuko was not going to give him an answer. Just when he was about to prompt the other to speak out Zuko's voice came to his ears: "Do you know how the war started, Aang? Do you know what happened to Avatar Roku?"

Blinking in surprise at the unexpected question Aang nodded his head and replied: "Fire Lord Sozin thought that he could bring about prosperity to the world by spreading Fire Nation's rule over it. Avatar Roku did not agree with him so Sozin betrayed him and left him to die when a volcano erupted on Roku's home island." As Aang spoke he watched Zuko nod his head slowly, clearly knowing this story himself. Not understanding what was the point about asking it in that case, the younger male questioned: "Why are you asking me this?"

Shifting his position, Zuko brought his hands under his head. He still did not turn his face to Aang even as he answered: "The conflict between Sozin and Roku brought an end to their lifelong friendship and was never truly resolved." Zuko shifted again, like uncomfortable with staying in one position for long, and brought a hand to his chest, over his heart. "That conflict continues inside me."

"What?" Aang asked breathlessly, rolling onto his side to look at Zuko properly. The frown on the firebender's face had gained a troubled tinge to it and Aang pressed: "Explain."

Zuko's lips turned upwards humourlessly before the prince's expression turned serious again and he started speaking: "As you know, I'm a direct descendant of Fire Lord Sozin from my father's side." The golden eyes finally turned to regard Aang with an even look. "From my mother's side, however, I descend directly from Avatar Roku."

"Bwuh?" was all that came from Aang's mouth as his chin slackened at the revelation. "You mean you're related to both Sozin and Roku?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" Zuko questioned with a displeased frown. The older teen sighed as he turned his eyes to the sky once more, his tone quiet as he muttered: "They're struggling within me, Roku's good and Sozin's evil. They are both fighting to control me."

"Are you serious?" Aang questioned carefully, his voice nothing more than a whisper. A curt nod came from Zuko and the prince was then talking again: "When I've been at my most vulnerable, during my most confused times, the evil has been able to take a hold of me." As Zuko said this, Aang remembered; he remembered how Zuko had betrayed his own uncle and he remember Combustion Man. Those were the things Zuko regretted above everything else. They were acts that the older teen thought he could never apologise enough for.

"And are you confused now?" Aang asked, intending to lighten the mood with the question, to show Zuko that everything was fine now. But when the golden eyes locked with his own for a passing moment, Aang saw the gaze waver. Zuko looked to the general direction of Aang's left ear as he answered rather weakly: "No."

Honestly, who did the prince think he was fooling with that display? Aang did not know if he had ever seen someone who was worse at lying than Zuko was and he started: "Why are you –"

Aang did not get a chance to finish his question when Zuko's eyes met his own head on. The intense gaze from the other boy's eyes was enough to silence the airbender completely and Aang was suddenly very aware of the fact that Zuko _knew_ that he was not fooling anyone. And the silent request in those eyes was enough for Aang to close his eyes and lie down on Appa's fur again.

So much for a pleasant afternoon, the Avatar thought bitterly before closing his eyes. Unable to see Zuko's mouth move Aang was not certain if he was imagining things when Zuko's voice whispered ever-so-silently: "I'm sorry."

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: A gift to you all, since I really enjoyed all of your reviews.


	11. Tormented

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 11**

**Tormented**

When Zuko woke up with a jolt, it was to his own dark room. His eyes met the stained ceiling as the fog of his dream began to fade. Usually nightmares faded away along the returning of consciousness but with Zuko the events of his dream became clearer when he woke up properly.

The thing with normal people was that their nightmares were images created by their imagination, unidentifiable fears with no real form. Zuko's nightmares, however, were based off of real memories, he dreamed of real events, betrayals and failures that had happened at one point.

With a groan Zuko rolled to his side, wondering just how humble he needed to be in order to stop feeling so ashamed of himself. But his mind turned completely blank when his eyes fell on a shadow that looked like a real person leaning against his wall. Zuko knew it was nothing but a trick of light and his mind playing tricks on him but that did not stop him from jumping out of bed and rushing out of his room within the next few seconds.

Zuko's running steps took him outside of the Air Temple, where the teen stopped in the middle of the moonlit yard to take a deep breath. He breathed slowly and carefully, determined to bring himself back under control. Concentrating solely on the path of air going in and out, Zuko's thoughts drifted away from his nightmare and the visions of death and disappointment.

Pride is the cause of shame, had Iroh told Zuko once. Well, Zuko had forsaken his pride already so what else could he do to stop those shameful visions from haunting him? These were the thoughts that came to Zuko's mind after his breathing had evened out. The teen did not understand what was wrong with him. He had apologised, he had apologised until he thought he had forgotten all other words. He worked to redeem himself until he collapsed from exhaustion. What else did his soul want from his mind?

Letting his weak knees finally give out Zuko sunk to the ground and stared at the grey stones with a defeated air. He was so tired of fighting and now all that was left was running. He could no longer do anything more than run from his dreams, the light from the moon the only comfort and security he could get.

Perhaps it was not a matter of shame at all, Zuko wondered as his palms pressed against cold stone. Maybe the feeling that was slowly choking him to death was something else. And Zuko was fairly certain that he knew what emotion was tearing at him.

When a certain word did not match an emotion, a new term had to be found in order to avoid confusion between two different feelings. And the one other word for lack of self-worth that Zuko knew was guilt. He knew that he could only blame himself for everything that had gone wrong before and only after everything was fixed could he finally let it go.

_**To be continued...**_


	12. This Sickness in Your Soul

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 12**

**This Sickness in Your Soul**

Usually Haru slept through the nights peacefully. Lately, however, the earthbender had had trouble with falling asleep. He would lie awake in bed for what seemed like hours before he would finally slip away to sleep. It was during those hours of wakefulness that Haru would sometimes hear the running footsteps inside the temple, leading outside but never inside. Whoever the person running at night was, they were always in a hurry to leave but never to come back.

Of course, Haru knew who the person was. He had went after the runner the first night he had head the steps and a few times afterwards as well. Then the earthbender had learned that it was always the same person and attempted to ignore the frantic steps that sounded like the person had a need to simply get away, but from what, he was not sure.

Haru did not want to hear those running steps. He did not want to lie in bed waiting to hear them, because he knew that that was the reason he could not sleep at night. He did not want to worry, and yet he did. The reason he could not sleep was because he was worried, worried about the enemy.

Once again the running steps echoed outside the door and again Haru dragged himself out of bed to follow after. He would walk, knowing very well where the other was headed and in the end he ended up at the fountain outside the temple just in time to see the other lift his head from underneath the water.

Despite his worry, for who would not worry in such a situation, Haru felt no sympathy for the firebender. He did not even know if anything was wrong or if this was simply some nightly ritual of the prince. Still, Haru knew all too well that this was nothing simple, nothing harmless. Zuko only ran outside when he was distraught. Haru knew this since the signs were clear: sometimes Zuko would simply sit beside the fountain, staring into the night with a blank expression but sometimes he would start scrubbing at his hands and face furiously, like he was trying to get rid of an insistent stain and sometimes, rarely at first but more often now, the fire prince would throw up his previous dinner and whimper in pain. Those were the times when Haru could not hate his enemy no matter how hard he tried. Who could hate a mere boy, weakened by an illness?

Whining noises were coming from the form hunched over the fountain and for a moment Haru thought that this was going to be one of those thirdly-mentioned nights. But then the earthbender recognized the broken sounds echoing in the night and darkness.

If there was one thing that could strike a sense of compassion in the most bitter of hearts, then it was the sound of sobbing that rung with the greatest of sorrows and the most agonizing of pains. And that was what Haru heard now, unable to hold on to his vow of never feeling compassion towards a firebender.

Carefully and yet swiftly, Haru walked over to Zuko, planting a hand onto the other's shoulder without even having decided what he would say yet. Zuko jerked underneath his touch and a teary face rose to him, one golden eyes wide with unspeakable fear.

Quickly, the expression faded and Zuko gasped out: "Oh, it's you." The firebender ran a hand through his hair, releasing a laugh that held not a single ounce of humour. "I thought that he had started to torment me even when I was awake."

Frowning at the cryptic words Haru allowed a short question fall from his lips: "Who?"

For a moment Zuko looked strangely confused, like he did not know the answer himself, but then his expression became neutral as he spoke quietly, tonelessly: "I don't know." A hiccup came from the firebender's mouth as the golden eyes fell to stare into the darkness instead of Haru's face and Zuko's voice fell into a tormented, broken wisper: "There's too many of them and it's all my fault."

Realizing that the other teen did not even know he was there anymore, Haru started to seriously wonder about Zuko's mental stability. Yet, in the daylight Zuko had never acted like this. At daytime Zuko was always so collected, even if he seemed a tad bit strained.

That was when Zuko made to stand up, moving slowly as he walked past Haru and back inside the temple. The other was moving in a daze, like he was walking in his sleep, and Haru wondered if it would be merciful if the prince could always be like that. He watched after the firebender and that was when Haru could see that no herbal remedy could heal this illness, unless it was a deadly poison that would put an end to the pain.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: _One_ review? Ugh, was the previous chapter really that mediocre?


	13. Dreams of the Damned

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 13**

**Dreams of the Damned**

It was about time Haru admitted to feeling at least a little bit worried about the latest addition to their group. Why else would the earthbender have found himself waiting for Zuko outside his door on the morning following the night he had confronted the prince at the fountain?

Zuko rose late that morning but Haru still thought the other teen should have slept some more when he saw the firebender's ragged appearance when he stumbled out of his room, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. As soon as Zuko's eyes fell on Haru, however, the prince looked a lot more alert and aware and questioned without any trace of a slur in his voice: "What do you want?"

"What was that about last night?" Haru spoke immediately, not wanting to delay this matter any further. The firebender had been acting beyond strange last night and he wanted answers.

A throaty hum was the only sound that came from Zuko at first. Then the teen brought his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose like he was fighting off a headache and finally replied: "It was just a nightmare, nothing more."

"You've been having the same nightmare for a while then", Haru commented and crossed his arms. "What is it about?"

"I don't know", Zuko answered a bit too defensively for the answer to be truthful. "The thing with dreams is that we forget them when we're awake."

"You were pretty awake last night", Haru insisted. He was not going to let the other dismiss him so easily and it seemed that Zuko understood this as well, judging from the displeased frown on his face.

"I dream of sins, earthbender", Zuko growled out finally, his voice carrying a warning tone. "I have a lot to be blamed for and that tends to wear on one's sleep at night." The prince lifted a hand and poked Haru into the chest with his fore- and middle fingers, the gesture pushing the taller boy back and out of the firebender's path. Zuko then stepped forward to walk past him but stopped briefly, as if hesitating, and spoke: "Guilt is what sets reformed villains apart from the incurable ones." And with those parting words Zuko disappeared behind a corner.

"Guilt, huh?" Haru repeated softy when he had been left alone, staring at the wall in front of him. He had to wonder just who it was that had died.

_**To be continued...**_


	14. A New Routine

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 14**

**A New Routine**

It had been three nights and Haru had not heard Zuko's running steps echo in the hallways once. The earthbender wondered if the problem with the nightmares had been solved by now or if the the prince was now simply too exhausted to have nightmares since he was really driving both Aang and himself to their limits during their training sessions.

Finally the nights were silent again and yet Haru still had difficulties with falling asleep. Perhaps he should wake up earlier in the mornings so that he could go to sleep earlier as well. With that thought and a heavy sigh the earthbender pulled himself out of the comforting warmth between the sheets and stood up to stretch his limbs. He decided to go walking for a bit, hoping that it would help him with his problem.

Haru walked down the corridor where everyone's bedrooms were located, thinking that perhaps hearing everyone sleep peacefully would make it easier for him to do the same. The teen walked by Toph's room, where he heard only silence, and Sokka's room, where loud snoring reached his ears. He turned a corner that would lead him to where Aang's and Katara's rooms were when he froze at a surprising sight in the hall in question.

There, right beside the door to Aang's room, sat Zuko with his back against the wall and head leant back. The firebender's eyes were closed and Haru actually thought the other was asleep when he slowly walked up to him. As he leaned over to peer at the other's face through the darkness, golden eyes snapped open and glared at him with annoyance.

"Could you maybe not breathe so loudly?" Zuko hissed in a quiet whisper and Haru suddenly became aware of the strangely controlled manner that Zuko had been reclining in. The firebender's breathing was barely audible, slow and even. Haru had to respect anyone with control like that and he wondered if Zuko was perhaps listening to something when he was so intent to keep quiet.

"What are you doing?" Haru asked in turn and Zuko's good eye narrowed at him in exasperation as the prince growled: "I am listening. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"It looks just like that", Haru confessed a bit awkwardly. "But what are you listening _to_?"

Zuko turned his head to the side, his expression softening as his eyelids lowered in a lazy manner. Haru saw the firebender's mouth open as he let out a breath, even though he could not hear it, and then the prince spoke softly: "I'm listening to him breathe."

Haru's eyes flicked to the door beside them momentarily before glancing back at Zuko and questioning: "Aang?" Zuko gave an affirmative hum. "Why?"

"So that I know that he's still alive", Zuko replied in an oddly gentle manner. The prince gave an almost soundless laugh and continued: "I know it's silly but at night it's so easy to take nightmares seriously." The golden eyes of the firebender glanced at Haru shortly in a manner that told Haru that the subject was now closed and then slid closed. Haru, deciding that he had learned enough about the firebender for one night, continued on with his walk and kept exceptionally quiet so that he did not disturb him any more.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: I'd really like to thank everyone for the support I've been given during this dark phase that the fic is going through. I also wanted to get past it a bit more quickly so I decided to post the last two "nightmare chapters" at once for the joy of all those who gave me such wonderful comments and assured me that I haven't completely messed up Zuko's character. It was also good to notice that no one seems to mind me giving Haru some time in the spotlight, though he is a bit difficult to write since he gets so little screen time in the series.


	15. Too Good for This World

_**The chapters from now onward take place after the "Boiling Rock" episodes**_

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 15**

**Too Good for This World**

Toph and Zuko were sparring again, this time using their bending for a change. Aang had come to watch in order to pick out some techniques, at least that was what Zuko had told him to do. It was more than likely that Aang would pick up nothing, being so engrossed with watching the fight in itself and ignoring details for the most part.

Still, Aang did pay some attention to the way Zuko moved so gracefully and avoided Toph's attacks with almost practised ease. The firebender's body moved quickly and the flow of his body was exquisite in a way that could have been described beautiful. It was not the same kind of beautiful as Katara when the sunset dyed the girl's hair golden brown; it was more similar to when Katara was bending in the heat of a battle, full of power that she did not have during training. Zuko's current appearance was similar to that, but was still on a higher, more dangerous level. It was difficult to describe but for some reason, Aang thought about balance when he watched the teen. There was something about Zuko that made Aang think about the entire world as an inseparable whole.

Suddenly, there was a ripple in the perfection. Just after Zuko dodged a rock Toph had thrown at him, the teen faltered briefly. Golden eyes followed the rock to where it landed and something changed in the deeply concentrated expression, twisting it in a manner that Aang did not think he had ever seen before.

Later on Aang blamed himself for not seeing it coming. At the moment it happened he was simply too shocked to think that deeply into it. Toph had not noticed how dangerously distracted Zuko had become. Through her bending she could only see that something had slowed the prince down and so she struck.

A pillar of stone rose from the ground and somehow Zuko did not even see it coming before it had slammed right into his stomach, sending the firebender flying briefly before he crashed down on the ground with a series of pained groans.

Calling the prince's name Aang quickly stood up on his seat, his worried eyes watching as Zuko got up on all fours with his arms shaking and shoulders quaking. The next second Aang knew the reason for the teen's weak posture when Zuko lowered his head and threw up on the stones.

"Zuko!" Aang yelled again and rushed to the firebender's side with Toph following quickly behind as the girl's worriedly angry voice hollered: "Why didn't you dodge you dumb idiot?"

None of their calls were answered as Zuko shook his head slowly with his whole body convulsing at his by now dry heaves. The prince's face was pale, almost ashen, and his skin was damp with sweat that had not come from the short sparring match.

Footsteps approached then and both Katara and Sokka appeared quickly with Haru following a bit more hesitantly behind. Sokka's strong legs took him to the trio on the ground the fastest and the teen knelt down as he queried: "What's up?"

"Zuko's not feeling well", Aang replied and placed his hands on Zuko's shoulder and back. He could feel the firebender shake under his hands as well as the other's thundering heartbeat. He even felt feverish.

"What happened?" Katara's voice asked then and the girl was suddenly leaning over Zuko's back, looking at Aang in question. The Avatar shook his head as he spoke: "I don't know. Toph hit him in the stomach and then he started getting sick."

"I didn't hit him that hard!" Toph snapped then. "He shouldn't be reacting this way."

"He's been sick at night", a new voice joined in and Aang blinked at Haru in surprise. The earthbending boy shifted nervously when everyone's eyes turned to him and he continued in a mutter: "I talked to him once and he said that he felt guilty. I'm not sure about what, though."

Aang frowned in thought before his grey eyes fell on the rock that had landed on the ground and he saw how it had shattered the tree trunk it had landed upon and Aang was reminded of a time a person had been crushed on the inside in the same manner. And that was the same person Zuko had talked with The Duke about, like he had known him at some point. So, it was a possibility, the airbender thought, but how could Zuko know about that?

"Damn it, Zuko!" Sokka snapped suddenly and Aang jumped when the tanned boy pulled the firebender from beneath his hands. The teen was gripping the front of the other's shirt as he stood up with him, shaking the prince a couple of times. "What the heck happened between you and Jet?"

Focusing his eyes on Zuko, Aang stood up to see the firebender's face as Sokka manhandled him. The Avatar could not see the older teen's expression, however, since it was hidden underneath the shadows his shaggy hair created. Zuko lifted his hand.

With a fierce shove at the darker boy Zuko jerked out of Sokka's grip, his stagger giving the impression of being mortally wounded. He took a single hesitant step away from Sokka before turning away and running off faster than any of them could follow.

"Hey, Zuko!" Sokka yelled and made to follow, but Katara's stern grip on his arm stopped him. The boy stopped and turned to his sister when the girl asked the question that was on Aang's mind as well: "Why did you bring up Jet?"

Sokka grit his teeth, glaring at seemingly nothing before he scoffed: "Zuko insisted to know what happened to Jet. He told me that they had met during his and his uncle's travels so I figured he might as well know."

Once again Aang's eyes drifted to the fallen rock as he muttered sorrowfully: "Oh, Sokka. Please tell me you didn't…"

"I guess I should have spared him the details but I really needed to get it off of my chest", Sokka explained and Aang thought he could actually hear regret in his voice. Still, that did not change the fact that Zuko was upset and had probably been for a while. Aang needed to find the prince as soon as possible.

Turning away from the rest of his friends Aang rushed after the one friend that had vanished into the darkness of the abandoned temple. There was an advantage that Aang had in this game of hide and seek, though: he knew just where Zuko would run off to.

Soon enough Aang arrived at the door that led to the Sanctum, as Zuko had named the room. After a subtle request from the fire prince the airbender had left the doors open so that Zuko could enter whenever he wished or needed to. And this, in Aang's mind, counted as a time that Zuko would need to be in here, the only place where he could be close to his family.

Aang really did find Zuko, curled up at the feet of Avatar Roku's statue, chest rocking back and forth ever so slightly but still noticeably. Slowly and carefully, Aang made his way to the teen and stopped a couple of steps away from the hunched form.

"You know", Zuko spoke suddenly, startling Aang, "When I first met Jet, he asked me to join his freedom fighters." Aang hesitated as he stood there, not sure if Zuko was merely talking to himself or if the firebender had actually heard his feather light steps across the stone floor. In the end, the Avatar did not need to do anything when Zuko already continued: "I knew what he thought about the likes of me so I declined. But, even as I refused, I was moved that he would try to befriend me. But then something changed." Something changed in Zuko's tone as well. The prince had started to speak in a detached, emotionless voice but now sadness and pain bled through with each one of his words. "Somewhere along the line he got convinced that my uncle and I were firebenders. I don't know if he saw us do something or if he was simply crazy but I do know that he was absolutely certain of his discovery. He followed us. I was the reason he came to Ba Sing Se."

Betrayal was always a painful thing, especially the betrayal of a friend. It seemed that Zuko knew all about it, even when he had declined the offered friendship in the first place. Aang listened closely as Zuko continued, trying to pick out any changes in the prince's tone: "He ended up attacking me in the teashop I worked in with my uncle. He was planning to force me to bend in order to protect myself but the Dai Li interfered and took him away."

There, Aang was certain that he had heard it. A short, strangled sob had escaped along with those last words and the airbender laid a hand on Zuko's shoulder. The prince lifted his face to Aang, revealing eyes that were reddened but not wet. Kneeling down on the floor Aang laid both of his hands on Zuko's shoulders and so the firebender continued: "I don't like death, Aang, I honestly don't. I didn't want even Zhao to die and he tried to have me assassinated on top of other things." The teen shook his head. "I had no idea that they would do such things to him, least of all did I think he would die. It hurts." And then the first tears fell, along with the agonized whisper: "I don't like people dying, least of all because of me. It hurts so much that I don't think I can go on."

Desperation swirled in Aang's mind as he gripped Zuko tightly, pulling the older boy against him so that the black-haired head fell on his shoulder, his clothes getting stained with hot tears. He bit his lip as he pulled himself together, finally speaking sternly, forcefully: "It wasn't your fault, Zuko. You aren't an earthbender; you did not throw that rock on him. Neither are you one of the Dai Li; you weren't the one who messed with his head."

So fierce, so protective, Aang truly was the saviour of the world at moment. He was the saviour of Zuko's world and the firebender gripped at his back tightly, basking in the glory that the other personified. He fought back the sobs raking through his body so that he could focus on the feeling of the other's heart beating against his own chest, proof that the boy was alive despite everything he had done.

Aang felt Zuko mutter something against the fabric on his shoulder and even as he struggled to listen, the young airbender could not make out a single word. Laying a hand to the back of the prince's head, the Avatar caressed the silky soft locks of hair as he questioned: "What was that?"

But Zuko refused to answer, choosing to stay silent as he shook his head slowly against Aang. With a sigh the younger male decided not to pry as he pulled the larger body tighter against his own.

Like a flower that had been stepped on, Zuko was withered and weak against Aang's surprisingly strong body. Yet, the airbender thought that with enough light he could bloom once more.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: In case you're wondering what it was that Zuko said to Aang, look at the chapter title.


	16. When the Cries Are Silenced

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 16**

**When the Cries Are Silenced**

It should have felt awkward to hold the other like this, Aang realized when Zuko's breaths against his chest started to even out slowly. The young Avatar knew that it should not have been so comfortable to cradle the fire prince in his arms. Aang should have found the very thought of Zuko shedding tears bizarre; he should not have been able to empathise with the other so easily. But the truth was that Aang accepted Zuko's weakness without a moment's hesitation and willingly gave the teen the comfort he needed even though the other must have been starting to feel uncomfortable with the position of pretty much laying on top of Aang because of the difference in height between them.

Suddenly Aang heard Zuko's breath catch, a small quiet hiss that the boy would have missed if it had not been for their close proximity. But the change in the prince was only momentary and Zuko immediately forced his breathing to continue in a steady rhythm that Aang recognized to be faked for the sole reason that it was _too_ slow. Aang had learned to be in tune with the way Zuko breathed, since breathing held such an important part in their exercises. And Zuko only breathed this slowly when he was concentrating on something.

"What is it, Zuko?" Aang questioned as he lifted a hand to bury it in the fire prince unruly locks. "Is something wrong?"

Instead of getting an immediate response from Zuko, Aang was knocked off balance by the slightest bit when the firebender's body jerked violently in his grasp. Yelping in surprise Aang recovered just in time to realize that Zuko had been in such a hurry to extract himself from his embrace but for what reason, Aang did not know. The teen was even refusing to meet Aang's eyes.

"Zuko –" Aang started, about to press the older boy for answers, but was cut off when Zuko grumbled in an embarrassed tone: "Sorry about that." The golden eyes flickered up momentarily before going back to the floor. "I don't know what came over me."

"Zuko", Aang spoke with a sad smile, not understanding why the teen had to be so closed off all the time. "There's no need to apologise. There's nothing wrong with needing to be comforted and I honestly didn't mind."

Slowly Zuko shook his head, clearly disagreeing with Aang's words. The action brought a deep frown on the airbender's face and Aang brought his hand to the side of Zuko's face, his fingers brushing against the rough skin of the other's scar, turning the teen's face to him as he spoke seriously: "You needed to get all that off of your chest. It's not good to bottle things up."

The stern expression on Zuko's face was like stone when the firebender replied: "I'm used to it."

A short laugh escaped Aang's mouth before the Avatar uttered with displeasure: "No wonder you're so messed up."

Only after the words had passed his lips did Aang realize that he had probably chosen the worst possible statement to utter. Actually, he was pretty sure that only Sokka would have said something so thoughtless and that thought had Aang gasping and reaching out to grasp Zuko's arm before the firebender had made the first move to get up and storm off. And, judging from the thoroughly angered expression on the prince's face, that was exactly what Zuko had been about to do.

"I'm sorry!" Aang exclaimed, desperate to fix the mistake he had made. "I didn't mean it, but you aren't making this easy for me at all."

"I hardly make things easy for people", Zuko muttered with a tinge of regret in his voice. He placed a hand on top of the one Aang was holding onto him with and his golden eyes met Aang's stormy grey ones. "I…thank you for your effort."

"Ugh", Aang uttered with no small amount of distaste at the way Zuko was talking. He stood up from the stone floor before starting to speak: "Zuko, don't distance yourself from me. After the way we just connected, it would really hurt. You don't want to hurt me, do you?" It was very close to being a low blow; Aang knew this. But he did not want Zuko to close himself off and he was only speaking the truth.

"Aang", Zuko spoke, his tone of voice catching the airbender's attention better than hearing his name. It was with that same tone that Aang did not recognize that Zuko continued: "Getting too close will probably hurt as well, and I don't know which pain will be worse."

"I know", Aang spoke with conviction in his voice, even though there was no way he could be sure. He only knew what he wanted from the teen. "Building a wall between us will be the single most hurtful act you can commit."

"Aang, I…" Zuko started, but trailed off immediately. The firebender's eyes glanced around, as if the teen was looking for answers in the statues surrounding them. In the end the golden eyes fell on Aang's own again. A sigh came from Zuko, followed by him speaking: "I understand." The black-haired boy reached out with one hand and brought his arm around Aang's shoulders, pulling the airbender into am awkward hug of sorts. Aang could not stop himself from grinning, especially so when Zuko muttered gently: "Thank you, for everything."

"Don't mention it, Zuko", Aang replied sincerely. "That's what friends are for."

"R-right", came from Zuko, followed by the prince quickly pulling back and coughing nervously into his hand. "I…I feel like resting for a while now."

"Alright", Aang answered. "I'll go tell the others you're okay." With that Aang backed away from the other boy, thinking that Zuko would need some time to himself in order to regain his composure. He did not make it far until he heard Zuko utter a short sentence that caused his heart to ache: "Like any of them will care."

When Aang found the rest of the group again, Katara was busy making lunch. She merely spared Aang a glance and a short greeting, not querying about Zuko's condition in the slightest. Somehow, Aang felt personally injured about that, but the feeling disappeared when he needed to focus on Sokka and Toph, who immediately crowded him with questions about Zuko.

"He's fine, guys", Aang said, lifting his hands in a calming gesture. "He said he was tired so he's probably in his room resting by now."

Toph sighed in relief while Sokka nodded his head sternly before leaping towards Katara and grabbing one of the pieces of bread beside the girl, even as his sister voiced her complaints. Sokka ignored this, however, and brandished Aang with the piece of food as he said: "Here. I have some knowledge about having an upset stomach so I know that dry bread is the best option for nourishment." The tan teen smiled in an embarrassed manner as Aang grabbed the bread. "Make sure Zuko eats it, alright?"

"Don't worry, I will", Aang promised before darting off with the bread, Katara's scolding for Sokka fading out of his hearing range quickly. In no time the airbender made it to Zuko's room and the boy glanced in to see that Zuko was already lying in his bed on his back. The golden eyes turned to Aang immediately upon the Avatar's entrance, followed by the prince's words of: "Was there still something, Aang?"

"Sokka sent you this", Aang spoke as he handed the bread to the prince, who looked at it with a pair of raised eyebrows. When Zuko's hand closed around the offering anyway Aang continued: "He says that you probably won't be able to hold anything else down."

"Ah", Zuko uttered as a manner of giving recognition. "I suppose I should think of a way to show my gratitude." The prince turned the bread around in his hand and Aang could not help but think of Zuko as a terribly isolated person. The way the firebender seemed to be almost amazed by small gestures of caring almost brought tears of compassion to Aang's eyes but the boy contained himself, knowing full well that Zuko might not handle any more additional tears to this day well.

Sitting beside Zuko on the bed as the prince ate his bread in silence, Aang could not help but ask, just to be sure: "Are you really alright now?"

The hand holding the bread lowered and Zuko stared straight ahead in silence, unmoving. Just as Aang felt his heart begin to wrench at what he thought to be an ashamed refusal, Zuko spoke. The firebender's voice sounded amazed as the teen said: "I think I am."

Aang smiled and leaned his head against Zuko's arm and shoulder lightly. The airbender closed his eyes slowly while breathing out gratefully: "I'm glad."

_**To be continued...**_


	17. What He Needs to Hear

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 17**

**What He Needs to Hear**

"If you need to talk to someone about it, you know you can, uh…" Sokka had uttered awkwardly, scratched the back of his head nervously and then finished in an apologising tone: "It was sort of my fault, after all. For, you know, telling you in the first place."

Zuko had managed to face Sokka with a calm expression, smiling thinly at the other's effort, and had then spoken: "It's alright Sokka. I understand what you're trying to say." Those words had put the younger teen at ease and the tan boy had grinned widely.

Sokka had tried to comfort Zuko but in the end Zuko had ended up giving reassurance to the other.

1.

"Nice little play you have going on", Katara had snarled darkly when the two had been alone before dinner, setting places for everyone. "I take it you planned it carefully and looks like your efforts paid off; everyone bought your sob story." The girl's normally bright blue eyes had darkened with distrust and hatred. "I knew something was up when you were so interested to discuss with The Duke. It makes me wonder if you really have ever met Jet. I doubt it."

Having never been good at masking things, Zuko knew he had showed his hopelessness on his face when he had queried: "Why are you assaulting me like this?" His hands had been squeezed into tight fists. "What did I do wrong this time?"

"I knew you faked it all!" Katara had snapped, setting her pot down with a loud clang. "There's no way you could be affected like that, especially by a feeling like remorse. I doubt you have any idea what regret feels like."

"You know nothing about me", Zuko had hissed then, his golden eyes burning as he glared at the waterbender. "I don't expect you to understand, a perfect person who has never done anything wrong, but guilt is a powerful emotion and you know nothing of its effects." And with that Zuko had stood up and marched off, not caring that Katara would use this to her advantage to start an argument about how Zuko had 'abandoned his duties to the team'.

Oh, how Zuko had felt hated as he marched off to brood in the woods. A part of him had felt he deserved it, the part that caused all of his dreams about blaming eyes and cold corpses, but another part was growing in Zuko and this new part had been screaming about how uncalled for Katara's behaviour was.

Katara had attempted to reveal a lie and hurt Zuko but had ended up empty-handed. The girl's actions had only made Zuko angry, angry enough to think that Katara's ruthless side reminded the teen of Azula. And that was the greatest insult Zuko knew.

2.

The Duke had walked up to Zuko, unknowing of recent events, and had spoken out suddenly: "I'm worried."

"I'm sure Aang will be able to beat the Fire Lord", Zuko had immediately told the boy in a sincere effort to lighten the other's mood. "We will win this war."

In response The Duke had shaken his head from side to side shortly and then said: "I worry about you, Zuko. You remind me of Jet."

"Huh?" the prince had uttered in surprise and The Duke had explained: "Jet couldn't let things go. If I had to say one bad feature about him, then that would be it." The little boy patted Zuko's arm as well as he could from so much lower than the firebender. "You need to learn to let things go, Zuko."

"Right…" Zuko had whispered quietly, with a nod to both himself and the boy talking to him. The Duke had then smiled and walked off to look for the rest of his friends.

It was sort of surprising how the best words of comfort came from the one person who had no idea what was going on.

_**To be continued...**_


	18. Small Comforts

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 18**

**Small Comforts**

Zuko had been absolutely certain that everyone was going to ban him insane after his breakdown the other day, but surprisingly enough this had not happened. No, instead everyone was trying to be so understanding and supportive that Zuko felt suffocated. So the fire prince had done the one thing that would preserve his sanity; he had hid.

It was not much of a hiding place, really. Zuko was simply lying on Appa's tail while the bison lay on the rocks a short distance away from the temple. Still, it seemed that not everyone was all that fond of the animal's company for whatever reason. This suited Zuko perfectly, for he actually liked the beast in question somewhat. And the sentiment was returned, at least Zuko thought it to be so when Appa always greeted with him a slobbery lick.

'I'm fine', and 'I don't want to talk about it', were both statements of the hour and Zuko had repeated them quite the few times to various people who wanted him to talk with them about his 'problems'. But what Zuko had said to Aang was still standing; he was not going to repeat himself ever again.

Considering Zuko's severe dislike to having people poke about his business, it was only natural that when the prince heard the rustling of leaves caused by someone approaching the spot he was at, his first response was a snappy: "I'm fine and I don't want to talk about it." Better to cover both questions with one answer, he figured.

A bright laugh came as a reply to Zuko's statement and the fire prince was ashamed to notice that his heartbeat had quickened at the sound. The teen turned his head, hoping that his cheeks were not flushed, and saw Aang approach him with a huge smile.

"It's a good thing that you have already talked with me then, right?" the Avatar commented and then leaned his shoulder against a nearby three. The two males simply watched each other for a while and Zuko wondered if Aang found him even slightly as appealing to look at as he found the airbender. Dismissing such thoughts as stupid and irrelevant Zuko scooted to the side slightly, creating enough space for another person to lie down beside him.

Just as Zuko started to wonder if that had been enough of an invitation Aang had walked over and crawled over to lie down on his back beside the prince. The Avatar gave the firebender a disarming smile before turning his face upwards and closing his eyes with a content expression coming over his face.

Wondering how the boy had known where to find him, Zuko stayed still for a long while, watching Aang's face so close to his own and feeling the other's warmth beside himself. There was something important missing, however, and Zuko moved.

Aang jumped slightly in surprise when Zuko laid his head on the airbender's chest. Zuko's face was facing away from Aang's own so he did not see the other's expression but the bewilderment was in the boy's voice when he questioned: "Zuko? What are you –?"

"Hush", Zuko mumbled gently and brought an arm around Aang's waist. "Just be quiet for a while and let me listen." With that the prince closed his eyes and a moment later the thumps of the Avatar's heartbeat reached his ears. The rhythm was faster than normal, probably because the other was still trying to get his head around Zuko's recent actions. Zuko sighed softly and then uttered gently: "It's alright", feeling that it was sort of ironic that he would say such a thing when he was trying to find comfort in the same person he was reassuring.

A moment passed in silence and then Aang's arms came over Zuko, one across his back and the other over the arm draped around the airbender. It was Aang's turn to sigh before the boy spoke: "Yeah, it's alright", as if confirming a question Zuko had not asked. The prince smiled to himself when he heard Aang's heartbeat slow down into a comforting lull and breathed in the other's scent, finally finding peace.

_**To be continued...**_


	19. Sleeping Arrangements

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 19**

**Sleeping Arrangements**

It was the following evening after Zuko's nap with Aang on Appa that the prince found his bedding missing from his room. Unsure of whom to suspect exactly Zuko immediately headed outside to the spot where they had all of their meals. It was also where everyone else slept whenever the weather was not too cold or moist. Well, everyone else slept there except for Zuko, since Katara did not allow the firebender so close to them when they were unawares.

Zuko found his bedding immediately upon his entrance to the campsite. His sleeping roll was in Aang's possession and the Avatar was currently happily spreading it out right beside his own one. Zuko immediately felt his face heat up at the implications but shook himself out of his daze as he made his way over to the airbender and tried to appear stern as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Aang's eyes rose up to meet Zuko's own as the boy gave an innocent smile and suddenly Zuko became aware of the fact that Aang was very possibly oblivious to the custom that only married couples slept in such a manner beside each other in the Fire Nation. After all, there was really no reason for a twelve-year-old airbender to know something like that.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked from the kneeling boy, who merely smiled at him sincerely and then replied: "I decided that it would be better if you slept here with the rest of us, rather than all alone in your dark room." With those words Zuko understood Aang's motive perfectly: the Avatar was simply trying to help him with his nightmares.

"Well, I don't see why he should be sleeping so close to you, Aang", Katara's cold voice spoke in a manner that chilled Zuko to the bone. "I agreed to let him join us since he helped Sokka rescue dad and Suki, but that doesn't mean I'm fine with this particular arrangement."

"Come _on_ Katara!" the saviour of the world whined as his eyes widened to a puppy dog look. "How else is Zuko going to get over his nightmares?"

"If he even had any in the first place…" Zuko heard the girl mutter under her breath but her reply to Aang was: "You're very kind, Aang, but it really doesn't hurt to be careful."

"Oh, let the boy do as he pleases", came the voice of the waterbender's father, Hakoda Zuko remembered the man's name to be. "Surely nothing will happen during a harmless activity like sleeping." The man's blue eyes focused on Zuko all of a sudden and in the next instant the teen felt very bared indeed. "However", Hakoda spoke in a tone of voice that bordered on amusement. "I think we should ask what Zuko himself thinks about this arrangement. The poor boy looks awfully embarrassed." With that the man walked off, chuckling to himself slightly.

Zuko lowered his gaze and found his eyes meeting Aang's own again. The airbender looked worried as he queried: "Are you uncomfortable sleeping next to me, Zuko? I'm sorry if I seemed inconsiderate."

"I-it's fine", Zuko managed to utter awkwardly. "It's just that, well…" The airbender rose to his feet, looking at Zuko curiously and Zuko's eyes fell to the floor as he mumbled: "It's not customary in Fire Nation for people to sleep in such close proximity to each other." Actually, Zuko had never in his life shared a room or his personal space with anyone other than a member of his family, with the exception of Mai during the time they had dated and Zuko had been able to allow that only because of the long history they shared.

"Meaning that Firecracker is a prude", Toph's voice commented from right behind Zuko, causing the firebender to jump in shock and shoot a glare behind him even though it was wasted effort. The prince barely registered it when Aang and Katara wished each other good night as the waterbender's fears seemed to have been put to a rest. Zuko's main focus was Toph, who stepped closer to the firebender and poked the bottom of his spine with a finger as she spoke: "I hardly think Twinkle Toes of all people is going to pose a threat to your virtue, Firecracker. Go to bed and let him do this. You'll both feel better afterwards." And with that the girl wandered off without as much as a good bye.

Sighing to himself Zuko turned back to Aang, who was looking at him expectantly. Taking a deep breath the teen moved past the airbender and curled up underneath the covers on his new sleeping spot. Aang joined him on his side soon after and slowly silence fell over the entire group as everyone went to bed and started to slowly fall asleep.

Having his personal space reduced in such a way really made it harder for Zuko to relax enough to fall asleep. Because of this the teen was still very much awake when Aang's asked in a quiet whisper: "Are you alright, Zuko?"

Zuko merely hummed in response and jumped when he felt Aang's hand slip underneath his covers, seeking out his own hand and closing around the fingers. Zuko peered through the shadows at Aang, whose face showed no ill intent as the boy offered: "I'll hold you if you get scared."

"Thanks", Zuko whispered gently back, gripping the hand holding his back. "I think this will do just fine." The firebender allowed himself to smile and Aang returned the gesture in kind before closing his eyes to sleep.

Suddenly Zuko felt a lot less uncomfortable sleeping so close to another person.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: I really wondered about how Zuko was given his own room in "Western Air Temple" and still in "Southern Raiders" everyone slept outside. I tried to make some sense of it here. Also, I decided that Zuko would be a prude for no reason other than because it makes for good humour.


	20. It's Fine Because I Say So

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 20**

**It's Fine Because I Say So**

The situation between Aang and Zuko worried Katara. More than simply worried, actually. It was severely threatening her mental stability. There was just too much wrong with the way Aang almost fawned over the prince, who had been their enemy for months before joining them without any explanation that would have set Katara's mind at ease.

Aang was an affectionate person; Katara knew this better than anyone. And yet she could not understand _why_ Aang insisted on hugging the firebender at every turn. The young boy had not been nearly as…clingy with any other member of their group at any point of time. It seemed as if the two had become inseparable, literally so with the way Aang's arms were constantly around Zuko's midriff or elbow.

And last night the two boys had slept next to each other. Katara had been horrified by the very thought of Zuko so close to Aang when she was unconscious and would have been ready to fight to the end to keep the firebender away from the young boy if it had not been for the fact that Zuko had also seemed extremely reluctant to sleep next to Aang. In the end Aang had gotten his way, however, and Katara had strained to hear the whispered conversation the two shared before falling asleep, with no success whatsoever at interpreting the hushed words that had been spoken between the pair.

When morning had come neither Aang nor Zuko had been asleep by the time Katara rose. The two boys had been practising firebending outside and Katara wondered just how much earlier than her the two had woken up. A quick question to Toph revealed that Zuko actually rose with the sun, a fact that unnerved Katara, since she had never had the strength to wake up at sunrise. Still, it seemed that Zuko had not been up to anything at all that morning and the waterbender had been forced to admit, even if privately inside her own mind, that perhaps she did not need to worry about Zuko doing anything to anyone in their sleep.

But Katara was still not willing to go through another night with an Aang and Zuko –only corner. Reformed or not, the firebender was not sleeping right next to Aang for another night. Katara doubted that she could just tell the prince to back off, however, so she tried to reason with the person who had orchestrated the whole thing.

As soon as the firebending practise came to an end Katara cornered Aang for a stern talking-to.

"I really don't think you should spend so much time with Zuko", the girl spoke and Aang merely blinked at her in confusion before questioning: "Why not?"

"You're forcing yourself on him", Katara blurted out, unable to stand the way Aang did not seem to understand just how many things were wrong with his relationship with Zuko. "All the time you're hugging him and Zuko is clearly uncomfortable with it all."

"But Katara, I can't just stop all of a sudden", Aang spoke in a manner that made Katara suddenly feel like Aang was trying to right her wrongs instead of it being the other way around. "Zuko needs affection, Katara. He's been hurt at one point but I don't know how, so the best way to help him past that hurt is through affection."

Hurt. It was true that many times Zuko's behaviour reminded Katara of someone protecting an injury of sorts but she really did not agree with Aang on his methods and so she spoke: "Even if he is hurt, I still don't think he likes it much when you invade his personal space all the time."

"He needs to get used to it", Aang explained with a wide smile. "He may not appreciate what I'm doing right now but perhaps when he's better, he will see that he needed it." Aang then turned his head around, scouting the area. "Now, if you don't mind, I was supposed to drag Zuko to go swimming with me."

"How about you take Sokka along for some male bonding?" Katara suggested then, seeing that she could not change Aang's decision. Perhaps she could help him then, she figured. Because the sooner Zuko settled down with them and stopped being so 'hurt' to Aang, the sooner Aang would stop coddling the firebender.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: I got some comments about the way Aang is always hugging Zuko and figured that it was about time I gave an explanation of it to everyone. I hope this clears things up a bit.

Also, I don't know when I will update again. I'm missing the next chapter as well as the time to write the chapter in question.


	21. A Matter of Observation

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 21**

**A Matter of Observation**

At first Teo did not understand just what was the problem that everyone seemed to have with trying to get to know Prince Zuko better. In his mind, it was better to get close to the firebender than to leave him to his own devices. If they could manage to get to know Zuko better then they would perhaps be able to see any upcoming betrayal from the teen. When they were pushing the other away they were encouraging traitorous behaviour.

That had all been before Teo tried to talk to Zuko himself. He had gone up to the firebender when the other seemed to have been doing nothing in particular and had gained his attention easily. But then those golden eyes had looked right into Teo's own dark ones and the crippled boy had lost his voice. In that short, unguarded moment that their gazes had met, there had been such tormented agony in the other's eyes that Teo had been frightened. He had not tried to speak to Zuko face to face since.

Zuko was a broody person and that made him difficult to approach. And because of that it had taken a long time for the prince a long time to truly settle in within the group. But it had happened, gradually, and by the time Teo really thought about the matter again the firebender already was one of them. When the raven-haired teen and Sokka had returned with the people they had rescued from a Fire Nation prison, Teo was one of the many people who were happy to see that Zuko had also come back unharmed.

It seemed that the trip with Sokka had done wonders to Zuko's self-confidence. This became apparent when it was once again time for them to travel in town to buy new items. They tended to visit different towns each time so that they did not draw attention to themselves and this time they went to a town surrounded by thick woods, where they could hide Appa a short distance away so that the bison would not be noticed.

Things had not been alright in that town and they had become aware of this when they were nearly finished with their shopping. They had split up into smaller groups so that they could take care of everything faster and Teo had ended up with The Duke and Zuko and they had come across a small group of mismatched ruffians harassing a young woman. The Duke had immediately shied away from the scene and while Teo was still contemplating if it would be smart of them to interfere and draw attention to themselves when Zuko stormed past the two and towards the three men.

Even though startled, Teo still reacted quickly enough to realize that he would probably have to tell Zuko not to firebend at the men but in the next instant he closed his mouth again. Even unarmed, Zuko did not seem to need any bending to take care of the thugs.

Moving quickly Zuko rushed at the men and jumped high in the air in order to deliver a sharp kick in one man's chin, sending him crashing down into the ground. Somehow, the aerial strike looked a lot like something Aang would have done, but perhaps not as ruthlessly.

The second grunt had turned to Zuko, only to receive a series of fast punches to his chest and stomach. As a finishing touch, like performing a firebending kata, the prince kicked out with a foot and Teo could swear he heard the man's ribs crack upon contact.

In mere moments Zuko had taken out two out of three large men but the third one had had enough time to both become aware of the attack they were under, as well as to slash out with a sword that had been resting at his hip. The broad sword swung through the air and met nothing more as Zuko leaned backwards, his body bending backwards with the grace of a stream of water while he supported his weight with a hand planted on the ground underneath. And, as the thug's body moved forward along with his attack, Zuko allowed his body to continue the movement and flipped backwards. His knee hit the man's chin with a painful sound and as Zuko landed back on his feet the man fell on the ground in a heap.

After regaining his balance, Zuko took a couple of deep breaths and then started to speak. He had straightened his posture and was speaking in a tone of voice that commanded attention. Four heads rose to look up at him, the girl kneeling on the ground and the defeated men. Zuko stood like a rock and Teo doubted any earthbender could pull off looking more stony than the firebender right at that moment. Zuko talked slowly, and the men listened to every single word. And that was when Teo realized that they had all been neglecting to remember the one thing that was obvious: Zuko was a prince, a born leader.

Teo felt a shiver run up his back as he listened to Zuko speak in an icy voice, threatening the beaten men with unspeakable terrors that he would inflict upon them personally unless they left the town at once. In the next instant the men were running towards the town gate like their lives depended on it and Zuko was pulling the girl to her feet. And, after brushing the grateful female's thanks off, Zuko walked back to Teo and The Duke. The firebender placed a hand on each of their shoulders and smiled kindly, like he had not just scared off three men that must have all been trice his age and weight.

As The Duke began to chat cheerfully with Zuko, seemingly already forgetting about what had just occurred, Teo watched the Fire Nation prince from the corner of his eye. In the end he came to the conclusion that even though Aang was the Avatar, he did not really look the part. Zuko, on the other hand, had just become Teo's image of the saviour of the world.

_**To be continued...**_


	22. Firebenders' Den

_**The chapters from now on take place affter "Southern Raiders".**_

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 22**

**Firebender's Den**

"Wow", Sokka marvelled at the large villa they had arrived at. "Just what is this place, Zuko?"

"It's the summer house of the Fire Nation's Royal Family", Zuko replied, turning around on the porch to face the rest of the group. Sokka gave him a wide grin before exclaiming: "Awesome! We'll be hiding right under the Fire Lord's nose."

"There's no way this can work!" Katara argued in an incredulous tone. "We'll be found for sure!"

Zuko briefly wondered if he was thinking too much into things when he noticed that Katara had not accused him of trying to lead them into a trap. The prince tossed those thoughts aside, however, as he reassured the entire group: "My family hasn't come here in years. Actually, I don't think anyone at all has been here since…" Faltering before he could finish, Zuko cursed his weakness over the topic of his mother before turning around and walking through the door, leaving it up to the others whether they followed him or not.

The sounds of feet meeting wood told Zuko that the rest of the gang was following after him almost immediately. The firebender was able to walk right into the darkness that covered the halls he knew so very well but everyone else paused in the doorway to allow their eyes to get used to the change of lighting; everyone except for Toph, that was. The blind girl followed right in Zuko's steps even though she moved hesitantly, probably because of the echoes the wood surface caused.

"Are there any specific rooms we should take?" Sokka's voice questioned suddenly, when the teen's steps indicated that he had finally walked inside as well. "I mean, I don't think I would feel comfortable sleeping in the Fire Lord's bed."

"My father's room is in the main building in the middle of the house", Zuko replied easily, stopping in his stride as he stared at a bouquet of dried field flowers. "My old room is right down this hall in the left; my sister's own on the mirroring spot on the other side of the house. The others I'm not really sure of." The teen tore his gaze away from the withered plants before speaking again: "You are free to take whichever room you wish, except for the one in the East corner of the building."

"Why is that?" Katara asked then as she and Aang finally made their way to the trio. Zuko hesitated for a moment, considering his words, before speaking out: "I want that room." With that the firebender walked off without another word, making his way to the exact same room he had told the others to leave alone.

When Zuko slid the door open, a thick scent of lilies reached the prince's nose. It was only to be expected, for the room was filled with the flowers in question, though they all had dried into pale grey lumps with the passing of time.

Here, in this room, Zuko found his mind clearing and he was able to ponder on things more easily. The prince could not help but think of his heritage; he could not help it here of all places. Zuko found himself wondering just how twisted the mixing of bloodlines in his being was. He was this war personified, along with his sister. It was with that thought that Zuko realized that at some point he would have to face his sister. It was the only way that the souls of the ancient firebenders could be put to rest.

But what would come after the destruction of his family, Zuko questioned from himself. What would become of him after both his father and sister fell in battle? Zuko's eyes went around the dark room and the teen strolled over to the widow to open it and to allow the last rays of daylight to lit the room in a golden glow.

Zuko was still unsure if he could ever find peace within himself. It just might be that the true end of the power struggle of a hundred years could only be reached with the destruction of its source. Zuko needed to strike his sister down and possibly perish as well afterwards.

"I knew it", a voice spoke suddenly and Zuko stiffened, for a moment certain that he had spoken his words out loud as he jumped around to see Katara glancing around the room in the doorway.

"You could only be so protective of your mother's room", Katara commented and gave Zuko a soft, sorrowful smile. "It's ironic, how I knew that simply by thinking when I would act like you did just now."

It really was ironic, Zuko mused, for the two of them to think so similarly when they had such troubles with getting along. Perhaps it was because of that experience of unity that Zuko came to the conclusion to share his worries and spoke: "Can I ask you something, Katara?"

The girl looked startled for a moment, but nodded nonetheless, and Zuko questioned: "Do you believe in destiny?"

"Well…" the waterbender started, her eyes rolling in thought before they rested on Zuko's face again. "I suppose so, to a certain degree. I mean, what else could have brought me and Sokka across Aang right when the world needed him the most?"

Nodding to himself and to the words, Zuko agreed with Katara on that factor. She still hesitated, however, when he uttered: "I think…it might be my destiny to…die, in the final battle."

Heavy silence followed Zuko's admission, during which Katara stared at Zuko with her eyes and mouth wide open. At the first instant the whole room seemed to be frozen in time, and in the next Zuko felt a stinging pain on his left cheek as he stared in amazement at Katara, who had rushed to him in seconds, slapping him harshly. The girl's right arm was still outstretched as her shoulders heaved with deep breaths that had been brought on by rage. Zuko could only stare in wonder when Katara snapped at him: "How dare you say such things, Zuko! Aang _adores_ you! If you were to die he would be crushed!"

There was a hand fisting the front of Zuko's shirt with strength the boy had not known the girl to possess. The prince was shaken back and forth a couple of times before Katara bellowed again: "Last night you showed me a selfless person, Zuko! Where is that person now?"

Zuko's breath caught in his throat when he looked at Katara's enraged face with wide eyes. He could swear that he saw tears glisten in those blue eyes and was completely dumbstruck and amazed by the sight. He had no idea that he could ever be important enough to the waterbender for her to shed tears over.

"K-Katara", Zuko stuttered, lifting his hands to grasp Katara's own shaking ones. "I…I am such a fool."

"Darn right you are", Katara gasped out and a tear rolled down her cheek. "We've lost enough people to this cursed war. Enough."

"I understand", Zuko spoke gently, closing his eyes briefly before opening them to give Katara a smile. "Thank you, for helping me see."

There was a look that bordered on awe on Katara's face and Zuko could not help but wonder what brought it there. He did not get any answer, however, when Katara seemed to realize that she was staring and suddenly released her grip on Zuko, moving away from the prince.

"Don't hurt Aang", Katara spoke in a low tone before turning around to leave. Zuko watched her retreating back for a moment before replying equally softly: "I won't." And with that Katara was out of the room.

A deep sigh escaped from between Zuko's lips before the teen fell backwards onto the bed that had once been his mother's. Aang. How could he have forgotten about Aang? His life was not his own anymore; it was Aang's, even though the Avatar did not know that. Zuko had given his heart and his drive, the two things his life consisted of, to the young boy and he was not even willing to try to get them back. Because of this he could not die on the boy and it was surprisingly relieving to realize that.

_**To be continued...**_

Author's Notes: This chapter is probably the worst one of the bunch, but it's rather important so I needed it. Here we have Katara and Zuko making up, because I don't think there really was a proper scene for it in the series. At least, not one to satisfy me. Also, if you pay attention to the things Katara says, you might see that she seems to have a hunch on Zuko's feelings for Aang. And if you can spot the symbolism in this chapter, you get an extra ten points. ;)


	23. Perfection

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 23**

**Perfecion**

As the gang settled down for lunch, Katara found herself pleased with their new choice of housing. The last time she had had a real kitchen to work with had been in Ba Sing Se. Otherwise she had been forced to cook over a campfire. And they even had a dining room where everyone could eat and talk together. The waterbender had even found a proper pot and some dinner plates in the kitchen cupboards.

Despite her good mood over the successfully cooked lunch, Katara was not completely at peace. She was very troubled by some thoughts she had been having all day. And, since those thoughts were indirectly connected to one firebender, the girl found herself glancing across the table at Zuko more than once. She was unable to forget that smile Zuko had given her earlier that day, that beautiful smile that had made the waterbender realize just how much this new Zuko differed from the old one. Previously the fire prince had clearly been bitter about something and constantly angry, but now Zuko seemed to have reached some sort of peace.

Katara wanted to find peace of her own. The girl wished that she could perhaps learn from Zuko and be able to smile a similar open smile one day.

"Zuko", Katara spoke out and golden eyes met her own blue ones expectantly. There was a nervous shift from beside Katara, where her brother was sitting, but the girl ignored it as she continued: "May I ask you something?"

"Go right ahead", the firebender replied instantly and Katara noted with relief that the other's tone lacked the hesitation that had been there during their stay in the Western Air Temple.

"I've been wondering about now and before", Katara started as she stirred the stew on her plate. "You seem to have found some kind of peace within yourself, and I was wondering…"

"Hm?" Zuko urged on as he took a spoonful of stew.

"What did you do to let go of the past?" Katara blurted out and her cheeks flushed when she became aware of how everyone must have been looking at her at the moment, more or less knowing exactly what she was getting at.

A sigh came from Zuko, followed by the firebender giving Katara a surprisingly deep look as he spoke: "I don't think that you can learn much from my experiences."

"I would like to try", Katara spoke pleadingly and surprisingly Suki's voice from Sokka's other side spoke in her defence: "We all would like to learn to know you better, Zuko. I think that is enough of a reason to tell us - as much as you are comfortable with, of course." That last bit was added in hastily, as reassurance to Zuko, who had started to look jumpy. It seemed that Suki's words calmed down any nearing panic, though, since the firebender nodded his head once before uttering: "I realized that I had something that I had thought my whole life to be missing.

"My mother was taken away from me while I was still a child and my father was…distant, to say the least. My relationship with my sister grew pretty twisted as years went by and my uncle was rarely at the palace, since my father did not get along well with him." Zuko's eyes lowered their gaze to the tabletop and the firebender was clearly reluctant to speak anything more. And still the teen managed to find it within himself to finish: "I never realized that what I had always wanted was right there all along. I wanted to be loved and completely disregarded the fact that my uncle did love me despite what a pain I could be."

Zuko looked so very mournful after his speech that it was not hard to guess if the prince missed his uncle or not. Katara wanted to offer words of consolation; she had, after all, been the person to bring the topic up. The girl did not get a chance to utter a word, however, before Aang, who was sitting on Zuko's right, grabbed the firebender's attention by grasping onto his arm and speaking out: "Don't worry, Zuko. I love you."

Katara almost choked on nothing but air when she heard Aang speak those last three words, and she almost began hyperventilating when she saw the tender look Zuko gave the airbender. There was no doubt about how much those words meant to the prince and Katara found herself jealous of the maturity she could also see in that adoring gaze.

"Thank you, Aang", Zuko spoke in a low voice as reached out his other hand to grasp the one holding onto him. But the gesture turned into a mere brush of fingers when Zuko's left arm got grabbed by Toph, who yanked the firebender with enough strength to almost send Zuko tumbling out of his chair as she exclaimed: "What about me, Firecracker? I love you too!"

There was a snort from beside Katara and the girl chanced a look at Sokka and Suko, who were trying to hold back laughter at what they thought was a light hearted situation. After managing to calm down enough to speak Sokka spoke out: "We're all made of love here, Zuko, just in case you didn't notice." And then the tan boy burst into laughter again.

Even when the spirits around her lightened, Katara's own remained mellow as she was unable to find anything funny about the situation. Zuko was hopelessly in love with Aang. It was either that, or then the teen was unstoppably falling for the Avatar. Katara felt very conflicted at this revelation; she did not know how she should feel about the supposedly emotionally awkward prince being capable of more mature feelings than her, for she was certain that she would not be able to devote her heart so completely to someone.

Katara knew that Zuko was not the type to shy away or be crushed by unrequited love. Zuko seemed to be happy with simply loving Aang and being near the airbender as his friend, even if the other would never know how he truly felt. And as for how Aang might feel about Zuko's affections, Katara did not know, for Aang had always been unreadable to her, even when Sokka constantly teased her about how he knew everything Aang thought of. Katara was guessing that it was either a lie or then one of those 'guy things'. But, the waterbender thought that it was safe to assume that Aang would not have Zuko's level of emotional maturity. At least, hopefully he did not.

But, if by some event, Aang was to return Zuko's feeling, where would that leave Katara? She knew that she was nowhere as mature emotionally as Zuko; she could not love Aang like Zuko did. That thought actually made the girl feel unworthy, for she knew that Aang held some form of love for her. Would it be selfish of her to hold on to the airbender's feelings even when her own heart might still be too fickle to truly love the boy? In the end Aang would be the one to choose and, as sad as it was, Zuko would hardly stand a chance if he continued to hide his feelings, even if they were truer than Katara's own.

Katara found herself comparing the match between the two boys to fire and air, the respectable elements that seemed to describe the two boys perfectly. While Aang was the air that kept the fire alive, Zuko was that very same fire and would vanish if the air were to be taken away. It was frightening to imagine the prince having such intense feelings towards the young Avatar but it was also fitting, perfectly fitting.

Perfection, Katara mused then, was not something she wished to burn her hands on. She was far too confused by everything to try to interfere with what was going on. She only hoped that things would not progress into one direction or another while she was still trying to figure her own feelings out.

_**To be continued...**_


	24. Drawing the Line

**Memories of Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 24**

**Drawing the Line**

"When a firebender learns to separate the negative and positive energies within themselves, they become able to create lightning", Zuko mumbled to himself, trying to dig through his memory for everything that his uncle had taught him about this style of firebending.

After the rest of the group had learned that Zuko was unable to lightning bend, Katara had at first made fun of Zuko's apparent lack of skill. Later on the girl had spoken that it was better this way. The waterbender had claimed lightning to be evil and she had admitted that it frightened her, saying that she would feel better if Aang never learned that particular style that had almost killed him once already. Zuko understood how the girl felt and realized that she truly must have held fear towards lightning bending.

The rest of the group seemed to share Katara's sentiments on the matter of bending lightning. They had all seemed to prefer it that Zuko had not mastered the style and the firebender felt that they were almost relieved to learn this fact, like lightning bending truly was the sign of evil.

It was true that both Ozai and Azula could bend lightning. Zuko had almost met his end at both of their hands in the face of the technique. But those two were not the only ones capable of creating lighting; Iroh could bend lightning as well. And he had also managed to develop the style further, teaching to even Zuko the way to redirect lightning.

Uncle Iroh was not evil; he was probably the furthest from it imaginable. And yet he could lightning bend better than anyone else Zuko had seen. Actually, Iroh could generally bend better than anyone else Zuko had seen. Did that not mean that lighting bending in itself was not evil? No technique was evil in itself, only dangerous or difficult to control.

It did not take an evil person to lightning bend, this Zuko understood well now. It took a person capable of detaching himself from his soul's essence; someone who was capable of observing himself like one would an object. And with that skill of observation a bender could separate the energies within himself.

Zuko understood the theory well. He had had plenty of time to meditate on the matter and turn the words over and over in his head. It was surprising how well he could contemplate and ponder whenever he allowed his mind to slip from his emotions. It had been becoming easier and easier to do so with the time the prince had spent with Aang and the rest of the Avatar's group.

It did not make sense. Zuko knew the method for creating lighting so well that he should be able to use the technique. Yet, the teen found himself foiled by those very energies he was supposed to use and bend to his will. They were simply too strong; his energy was simply too divided by itself. He was unable to pull them apart, for they clashed so fiercely inside him, and he did not know what he could do about that. Zuko did not know how to make his young will stronger than those two hundred-year-olds in his heart and soul. The forces within him were simply too ancient to fight; they had become too strong with the time that had passed.

Even when his own body and soul denied him his goal, Zuko's mind refused to give up. The prince had decided to master this technique whatever it took, ever since he had heard Katara's badly concealed laughter at his admission to not being able to do so. Even though the girl had not made such jabs at Zuko since their arrival at the villa, Zuko could not forget the past humiliation at her laughter. Zuko may not have been blinded by his pride anymore but that did not change the fact that he had always hated failing. He hated and feared it.

Shaking his head furiously Zuko cursed himself for letting his thoughts wander like that. There was no way he could master the technique with that state of mind. Getting angry and frustrated was what had caused his uncle to shake his head at him in disappointment and Zuko was intent on making sure that the next time they met, Iroh would look at him with pride. The man had once said that he thought of Zuko as his own son; Zuko wanted to somehow show the man that he as well thought that they shared a bond like that.

Forcing his breathing to even out the firebender sought out a state of calm within himself. He attempted to reach that same serene pattern of thought that came with his meditation. He needed to detach himself from the world, from his fears and frustrations.

A breath came in and Zuko remembered the scent of the fresh field flowers Katara had brought into the house earlier that day. She had filled the vases in the hallway with them and had asked Zuko for approval, which the firebender had granted gladly. The prince had even said that he would prefer it if no more flowers were left to die in that house. New flowers for a new family.

A breath went out, bringing with it the memory of The Duke's voice when the boy had cheered him on during a difficult kata that he had showed to Aang. He also remembered the scolding tone of Toph's voice as the girl had encouraged him to simply be himself. It was amazing, how well those two had accepted Zuko and helped him come to terms with what had happened between him and Jet. And now Zuko could think of the freedom fighter without a wave of overbearing grief and guilt.

Drawing in a breath, Zuko remembered the taste of dry bread, one Aang had brought for him from Sokka so that the prince could eat something that was not likely to make him ill again. It was the first step from a truce to the friendship that had now formed between the firebender and the water tribe boy.

Blowing out the air in his lungs, the fire prince thought about the feeling of having his uncle's arms around him in a loving embrace, one like which he never received from his birth father. No trace of desperation was to be felt with that notion and Zuko took a deep breath.

He saw, in a memory, how Aang would smile at him expectantly after completing a firebending move. He saw how the Avatar's shoulders would shake with laughter and how the boy's eyes shone during those happy moments they had shared as friends.

All this time, as he went through the exercises to calm each and every one of his senses, Zuko had moved his arms around slowly with only two fingers pointed out in each hand. He felt detached from everything, even his own body, and that was when he saw the flames within himself, one dark blue and the other pure white. The two sides of fire, the one that wished to bring destruction and waste and the one that lit the way in darkness and brought warmth into a cold night. This was the one truth and this Zuko had seen in the flames colored in all the shades of a rainbow.

The air crackled and yet Zuko's concentration did not break. The firebender kept his focus, slowly bringing his hands together. The negative and positive energies met, caressed each other briefly, and that was when the power surged out of Zuko's very core, his fingertips guiding the stream harmlessly into the sky.

More white than blue, the lightning struck out fiercely and dangerously, not arching in the way flames could, but snapping into different directions sharply without the discipline of a fire attack. But that was just what his uncle had told him; lighting could not be controlled the way flames could. Once the lighting was cast off, its direction could not be altered.

Taking deep, shivering breaths Zuko became aware of the exhaustion that had overcome his body from the strain of using the technique. Even though his knees shook and he could barely stand, he was satisfied. For once in his life he was satisfied with his form, with the results of his bending and the way he lived his life.

_**To be continued...**_


	25. Rainfall Benders

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 25**

**Rainfall Benders**

A long time ago Zuko had loved rain but he had forgotten that during the years spent in exile, when rain had been nothing but a nuisance for the crew sailing the seas of the world. Still, it was understandable that Zuko's love had changed into bitter hatred, for everything and anything had earned Zuko's hatred during those three years.

That day, beneath the shelter of his family's summer cottage, as he watched the rain fall in a downpour Zuko felt something completely different from hatred and anger. The drumming of the rain brought a smile to Zuko's lips and the prince felt a surge of affection that was as great as he could feel for a natural phenomenon.

"There you are", Toph's voice came and Zuko actually jumped in surprise before turning to look at the girl, who was smirking at him in a knowing manner and that expression told Zuko that he had been caught and he rolled his eyes at the earthbender's antics.

"Was there something you needed or do you simply enjoy sneaking up on people?" Zuko drawled with a lot less annoyance in his tone than there would have usually been. Something about the rain seemed to subdue him a bit.

"We just wondered where you disappeared off to", Toph replied easily, shrugging her shoulders in a manner that indicated that she had not really been worried about the firebender. Zuko was not offended by this, actually he was slightly flattered, and spoke in an amused manner: "Well, now you know where I disappeared to. Was there anything else?"

"No, not really", Toph said and Zuko turned his eyes back to the rain that continued to fall. He wondered how much the girl behind him would mind if he was to grab her and pull her to run beneath the rain clouds. If the prince was lucky he might end up with bruised skin but in reality such an act would probably have resulted in bruised bones. Not to mention there was someone else Zuko had in mind for the endeavour.

"Ah, I found you Zuko!" Speak of the devil. That had been Aang's voice. Zuko smiled widely as he turned towards the approaching airbender and greeted: "Hey, Aang. You were looking for me too?"

"Of course", Aang assured with his voice bright with joy and his cheeks flushed with glee. The boy finally reached the duo and his eyes fell on Toph. "Oh, Toph already found you."

A thoughtful frown crossed Zuko's face when he heard Aang's tone change. A brief glance at Toph showed that the girl had lifted an eyebrow, assuring Zuko that he had not imagined hearing Aang's voice lose the playful tone and turn into a dull drawl. It was almost like Aang had not wanted to see Toph.

Deciding that even if Aang and Toph were having a fight of sorts it was not any of his business, Zuko reached out and planted a hand on Aang's shoulder. The gesture brought pearl grey eyes up to look into his own golden ones and Zuko offered the other boy a welcoming smile as he spoke: "Would you like to dance under the rain with me?"

A silence followed, during which Aang blinked at Zuko in a surprised manner and stared at the teen in bewilderment. Finally, a sudden breath came from the airbender's mouth as the boy smiled softly, closed his eyes and opened them to grin brilliantly at the prince. A hand came up to grasp the one on his shoulder as Aang replied: "I'd love to." And with that Aang twirled around underneath Zuko's arm so that he could drag the fire prince after him by the hand he had grabbed. The boy's quick steps were light on stone but Zuko managed to keep up with no problems as the two rushed into the open area of the courtyard only a couple of metres away.

The sudden feeling of cold wetness on his face blinded Zuko momentarily and so he did not notice Aang stop in front of him and ended up having his chest bump against Aang's back in a manner that reminded Zuko of that time at the Sun Warrior's ceremony, only that their positions were reversed and this time only their right hands were intertwined instead of both.

A brief chuckle came from Aang and Zuko's thoughts dismissed the memories they had been occupied with in favour of releasing Aang's hand and moving around the Avatar to grasp both of the appendages that were now slick with water. Even with the shadows of the evening and the rain blocking his sight Zuko could still make out the deep grey of Aang's eyes and the fire prince grinned for all he was worth.

Prompting a surprised yelp from Aang, Zuko yanked on the hands that he was squeezing tightly within his own, so that the grip would not slip, and stepped backwards with a splash that he did not bother with as his foot met a puddle. He took another step and yet another one, allowing his legs to cross as his steps quickened and Aang started to move along, their two forms soon spinning in a circle at a dizzying speed.

It should have been uncomfortable to have rainwater trickling down underneath his clothes but Zuko barely noticed such details like his clothes being weighted down when they were wet or his boots having been filled with water by now in the downpour. There was a foreign sense of freedom swelling within the prince which he would have recognized easily if he had still remembered what it felt like to be a child. And, without any other way to fully express the emotions raging inside his chest, Zuko laughed. He laughed because he was simply that happy, and he laughed because Aang was laughing as well.

_**To be continued...**_

Author's Notes: The chapter after this will contain the same events, only from Aang's point of view.


	26. Dancers of Fate

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 26**

**Dancers of Fate**

Zuko had gone missing. That in itself was not so worrisome but it was odd since it was raining heavily outside. When it was nearing lunchtime Toph took it upon herself to go looking for the prince and for some reason Aang found himself scoffing to himself when the suggestion was made. Truth be told, there was really no reason for him to feel displeasure at Toph saying that, since he had been about to say the same thing.

In the end both Aang and Toph had gone off to look for Zuko while everyone else preferred to do their own things. And, as if it were some kind of a game, Aang was determined to find Zuko first. So, he decided to first check out the storage house that had been made into a stable for Appa, simply because that was where Zuko usually went. The storage in question was on the other side of the huge complex that made the Fire Nation's royal family's summer cottage. They had chosen this setting so that Appa would not shed his fur or do any other "disgusting animal stuff" that Sokka called them near their living quarters. The fastest way to Appa was across the big courtyard but that was also where the rain got through the most because of the lack of shelter. Still, Aang decided to take that path.

And that was where he found Zuko; the fire prince was leaning against a pillar looking strangely at peace in the dreadful weather. Aang could not keep himself from smiling at the sight and he lifted his hand into a wave as he called: "Ah, I found you Zuko!"

At the shout, Zuko turned towards the airbender and greeted him: "Hey, Aang. You were looking for me too?" There was something so incredibly light in Zuko's tone, an undertone of fondness, and Aang felt his cheeks burn when he heard it. He walked towards the firebender as he spoke: "Of course", and finally saw that there was someone with Zuko, previously hidden by a pillar. Aang looked at Toph and felt his blood run cold from a strange feeling that was a mix of disappointment and anger. He could not help but utter out the reason for his broken mood: "Oh, Toph already found you."

As soon as he finished speaking Aang could tell that Toph had noticed his change of tone. One of the earthbender's eyebrows rose in a querying manner and Aang actually felt embarrassed and ashamed about letting his twisting and turning emotions affect the way he treated one of his best friends. Toph did not deserve that.

Suddenly Aang felt a weight settle down on his shoulder and Aang turned his head to Zuko to see the firebender giving him a sweet smile before questioning: "Would you like to dance under the rain with me?"

It took Aang a while to come up with an answer and he merely stood there blinking and staring at the teen in front of him. He had never expected Zuko to be the kind of person to enjoy something so, well, childish and the question had caught him completely off guard. Not to mention it was so incredibly distracting to have Zuko smile so tenderly at him.

It was clear that Aang could not articulate a response while Zuko was looking at him like that, so he closed his eyes with a soft sigh, not bothering to fight the smile the firebender's friendliness brought to his lips. Finally he opened his eyes and allowed his smile to spread into a grin as he lifted a hand to place on top of the one on his shoulder and replied: "I'd love to."

Gripping tightly onto Zuko's hand Aang darted underneath the prince's arm and dragged the taller boy after him as he rushed with feather light steps away from the shelter keeping them dry and into the rain.

Rain whipped Aang's face the moment the two rushed outside and the airbender had to stop to regain his bearings. This resulted in Zuko's body bumping into his own since the firebender also had difficulties with seeing in the downpour. Having the other's body so close reminded Aang of how they had been pressed together like this at the top of the long staircase at the Sun Warriors' city and Aang wondered if Zuko had thought about the same thing. He chuckled at that, not really believing that he and the prince could be thinking the exact same thing like that.

That was when Zuko released the grip he had on Aang's hand and moved around to face the airbender. Aang looked at the shadowed face of his friend when he felt wet hands enclose his own into a grip that should not have been so warm in this weather. At that instant Aang was surprised to find himself thinking that Zuko really was beautiful and that was even before the prince grinned in a manner that caused Aang's breath to catch in his throat.

In the next instant Aang was pulled forward when Zuko yanked on their interlocked hands. Aang yelped in surprise as the unrelenting grip the other had on his hands forced his body to follow the taller boy's own. Puddles splashed gently underneath both of their feet as Zuko lead them into a spinning motion that started to quicken as soon as Zuko decided that Aang had gotten the hang of it.

It was such a bizarre situation, to do something so child-like with someone like Zuko as his partner. But as Aang smiled through the water running down his face he realized that there was not really anyone who he would have preferred to do this with. There was something so much more enthralling to do this with Zuko than there was in anything else. Even dancing with Katara had not caused his chest to feel both too tight and too vast in such a contrast. He felt happy and he was certain that Zuko did as well.

It was impossible for Aang to hold back his laughter and so he released it. The airbender laughed with pure happiness and joy as he and Zuko spun in the rain and puddles, Zuko's laughter rising to sing a song along with his own. The rain played the melody for their laughing voices and only one thought in Aang's mind had any clarity at all. During this otherworldly dance, the Avatar could not help but think: 'He chose me, not Toph.'

_**To be continued...**_

Author's Notes: I've noticed a very annoying thing about many Zukaang fics; Aang is pictured as a bigger sissy than some girls. I mean, I understand that Zuko will be natural 'stronger' party, but there's no need to disregard Aang's sense of pride. In this story I'm aiming to have the two engage in a relationship that has them as equals and I'd like to hear your opinions on whether or not I have succeeded so far.


	27. Drops of Rain

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 27**

**Drops of Rain**

"Well, that was fun", Zuko spoke as the two of them walked back underneath the shelter, both of their clothes heavy on them. Aang looked at the other's contently smiling face and gave a short laugh before pulling at his soaked shirt and commenting: "Sure, it was fun for a while but now we'd better get changed or will get sick."

"Worth it", was all Zuko said before glancing around the darkness and questioning: "Where did Toph vanish to?"

"She probably went back to the kitchen", Aang replied and almost groaned out loud when Zuko immediately spoke up: "We should probably go as well." Truth be told, Aang would have very much preferred to spend a while longer alone with Zuko, especially after the connecting experience they had just shared.

Still, Aang only nodded his head and the two of them walked into the kitchen. They really did find Toph there, along with everyone else, and received curious looks from the gathered group. Finally, Sokka spoke out: "Why are you two wet?"

Zuko shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly before saying: "Because we were out in the rain."

"What were you doing outside?" Suki questioned with a look on her face that indicated that she would not even consider going outside in such weather. This time it was Aang who spoke a reply: "We felt like it."

"I never thought Zuko would have this kind of influence on you", came Katara's comment from next to the stove where she was cooking. The girl's tone was far from disappointed or scolding, however, so Aang did not think the words were anything more than a participation in the conversation.

"I'm ready to think that it's Twinkle Toes who is influencing Firecracker", Toph commented as she made her way to the two males. "I don't really see Firecracker as the type to enjoy dancing."

"It was still Zuko's idea", Aang insisted while Zuko merely pulled off his dripping wet shirt.

"You still went along with it", Toph said as she shot Zuko a crooked smirk. "Forget 'Junior', I think I'll just call you 'Mrs Twinkle Toes'."

Zuko glowered at the girl as he rolled up his shirt and Aang caught on to the warning gaze in golden eyes and spoke out: "I wouldn't be making comments like that in your position, Toph."

"What position?" Toph questioned with a frown. A moment later she released a shriek, however, as Zuko lifted his rolled up shirt above her head and pulled on its ends, causing the absorbed water to be squeezed out and fall right over the earthbender.

Sokka burst into loud barks of laughter while Suki and Katara settled for giggling. Aang also released a laugh while Zuko smirked before rushing out of the kitchen with a raving and angry Toph hot on his heels.

"Oh, just look at this mess!" Katara exclaimed suddenly, observing the puddles Aang and Zuko had dribbled all over the floor. The girl stepped away from the stove, clearly ready to start waterbending as she advised Aang: "Aang, go change clothes. And while you're gone, let Zuko and Toph know that they are not allowed back in this kitchen before they have done the same."

"Right away", Aang said with a wide grin and a salute before scurrying out of the kitchen and out of the girl's way as she started to bend the water away. On his way to his room he walked past Toph, who shook herself like a dogodile all over the Avatar. It did not matter much, though, since Aang was already wet.

After Toph had vanished into her own room Aang walked further down the corridor and had to help Zuko down from his hiding place on top of a hallway closet. The airbender bit back a comment about Zuko's feline tendencies, but as soon as the older teen had vanished around a corner Aang wondered if perhaps Zuko and Toph liked to annoy each other so much because of those animal features they had. Even Sokka had once commented that the two sometimes went at each other like a wolfcat and a dogodile; there certainly was enough violence involved on the 'dogodile's' part.

_**To be continued...**_

Author's Notes: This is another pointless chapter like "Drawing the Line", but it works well to bring out the new atmosphere among the members of the gAang. I figured I needed some kind of closure for the previous chapters. Also, I have great news to you all. Starting from the next chapter I will start directing this story away from the series canon, which means both plot as well as more Zukaang.


	28. Your Heartbeat Thunders

_**Chapters from now on take place after the episode "Ember Island Players". There are going to be some references, so looking up the episode is adviced.**_

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 28**

**Your Heartbeat Thunders**

Toph was worried. Well, there was really nothing new about this since she was constantly worrying about the fire prince who she had given the affectionate nickname 'Firecracker', because of both the teen's element as well as the stories Sokka had told about 'the angry jerk'. The thing was, Zuko was strong both in bending and physically, but emotionally he was a mess. Toph did not want to think the possible dark gloom that the firebender might be experiencing because of the play, especially since she had seen that it had had an effect on the teen during the intermission they had spent discussing the play in the hall.

It was not a difficult task to lead Zuko away from everyone else when Katara started preparing a late dinner for them all with Aang's help. The prince was closed-off most of the time but Toph knew that the two of them managed to connect on a level that would allow her to get honest answers out of the firebender.

"Are you alright?" Toph questioned as soon as the two of them were at the back of the summerhouse, seated on the three steps that led away from the door. There was an affirming hum from Zuko and Toph reached out a hand to grasp the prince's wrist. She could not see very clearly when they were seated on wood but her hands were sensitive enough to keep a focus on Zuko's heartbeat like this. To the earthbender's surprise Zuko was being truthful.

"So you weren't bothered by the scene with Jet at all?" Toph queried, even though she hated having to bring up a subject that had caused so much drama in their group already. The girl felt Zuko's heartbeat pick up ever so slightly, an indication that the teen was blushing, and then the firebender replied: "I wouldn't say that I was completely unaffected. I got over it."

There was more to it than simply what the boy had said; Toph knew this from both the other's heartbeat as well as the tone of voice used. Zuko was such a terrible liar that Toph did not really need to hear his heartbeat to know when the other was hiding something. Still, it was also obvious that Zuko had not exactly lied to her either, so Toph decided to let the matter slide in favour of picking out another topic of conversation, the point of time where Zuko's heartbeat last quickened that evening.

"Was she really that beautiful?" Toph asked and Zuko released a confused gurgle from his throat. Toph decided to elaborate: "Your heartbeat sped up with attraction when that woman playing Twinkle Toes appeared. Was she beautiful?"

Zuko was definitely blushing then and Toph could not help but grin when the teen growled: "What? Do you stalk my heartbeat on your spare time?"

"Just answer the question", Toph shot back and Zuko grew silent. The earthbender was just about ready to 'encourage' the boy with an elbow to the ribs when Zuko spoke out: "I wouldn't say it like that."

"Then how _would_ you say it?" Toph urged and Zuko replied: "I'd say that she was a good choice for the part."

"What does that have got to do with anything?" Toph questioned impatiently. "Stop avoiding or I will be forced to bruise you."

A heavy sigh followed from Zuko, after which the prince muttered: "I mean that she looked just like Aang, minus her gender."

Those words effectively silenced Toph. It was not really because she was surprised because now that she thought about it, she should have seen it coming. She just had not thought of any snappy retort to give to the admission and she did not want to speak out jokes that had not even been finished in her head.

"You mean to tell me that you…" Toph waved with her free hand to make up for any missing words, "Twinkle Toes?"

"Well, it could be worse", Zuko uttered with a small sigh. "At least it's not Sokka."

"What's wrong with Sokka?" Toph snapped immediately and felt her cheeks flush as Zuko shifted in a manner that somehow managed to tell Toph that she had been caught. Still, she could still at least try to distract Zuko from her reaction.

"So, Prince Zuko has a crush on the Avatar…" the earthbender drawled in a devious manner. "I wonder what everyone would have to say to that?" She turned her crooked grin to Zuko. "Want to find out?"

"Not particularly", Zuko grumbled in response and Toph grinned wider as she spoke: "I wonder if telling everyone about this would suffice as payback for what you did to my feet."

"You do that and your secret crush won't be a secret either", Zuko growled in a threatening manner and Toph was actually impressed with how much fire the boy had been able to include in that sentence. Toph had actually been rather worried about the way Zuko acted so submissive towards everyone and the girl had started to wonder if this was a completely different person from the Zuko from about a year back, the one she had only heard stories about. But, it seemed that the teen was still capable of some healthy anger and that put her fears to something of a rest.

"Alright, I won't tell anyone", Toph agreed as her expression turned less vicious. She was pretty close to actually smiling as she finished: "But it's only because I've started to like you so much."

"You're too kind", Zuko grumbled in a tone that held enough sarcasm to put Sokka to shame.

_**To be continued…**_


	29. Not a Woman

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 29**

**Not a Woman**

Curse Toph for always seeing through him at every point of time. Of course, part of that might have been because the girl was still squeezing his wrist with almost bruising strength. Zuko was a terrible liar to begin with and with Toph able to read his heartbeat it was all the more difficult to elude the girl. At least she had not queried more about what had happened during the play at the scene where Jet 'died'. Zuko did not think he wanted everyone to know about how Aang had been able to wipe his mind clear of all negative thoughts by simply grasping his hand within his own. The very thought of it had Zuko's left hand tingling as his skin remembered the sensation and also had the prince's cheeks burning.

As luck would have it, it was just as Zuko was thinking these things that the object of his musings called from the backdoor right behind the teen's back: "What are you two doing there?"

Zuko immediately turned around to meet Aang's gaze as Toph's hand slid away from his wrist, the girl finally deciding to release Zuko from her truth-seeking grip. Zuko was actually just about to answer Aang's question when Toph spoke out from beside him: "We're conversing on how good Zuko thinks you would look as a woman."

"No we were not!" Zuko snapped heatedly as his face burned even more than his words did, shooting a quick glare at the blind girl sitting beside him before turning his face to Aang and attempting to reassure the other: "I swear on my life, Aang, that I do not have inappropriate thoughts of you involving breasts!"

Toph immediately burst into laughter and Zuko felt all the more humiliated as Aang also chuckled briefly before speaking: "Don't worry, Zuko. I believe you." The boy smiled widely as he brought his hands behind his back and suddenly alarm bells went off in Zuko's head, even though he did not know why. "I hardly doubt anyone would have inappropriate thoughts of me involving anything at all." With that the boy turned to walk back inside, speaking over his shoulder: "Dinner's ready."

It was after Aang had disappeared inside the house that Zuko spoke out, simply to give his feelings a real form: "He was upset."

"No kidding", Toph huffed from her seat beside him, snorting in a manner that indicated that it was obvious to her. "I would believe that he attempted to confess his adoration to Sugar Queen, only to be rejected."

"Huh?" Zuko questioned with a blink and a lifted eyebrow. "Why do you think that?"

"He got upset already at the play, after the lovey dovey scene between you and Sweetness", Toph explained and Zuko shivered in disgust at the memory. "My guess is that he got the whole Good Friends speech and is now feeling insecure." The girl changed her voice into a whine as she finished: "Oh, no one loves me! Whatever shall I do?"

"Stop it", Zuko grumbled, standing up as he did so. "That's not fair."

"Neither was it fair of you to say the things you did", Toph commented but Zuko ignored it as he stomped inside. He made his way into the dining room, only to see that Aang was missing. He wondered at this oddity before asking from Sokka and Suki, the two already sitting at the table, where the airbender had gone.

"Aang said that he was feeling too tired to eat", Suki replied helpfully. "I think he went into his room to sleep."

"Alright", Zuko said with a nod of his head. "Thank you." And with that the prince went after the Avatar.

When Zuko opened the door to the room Aang had claimed as his own, he hesitated for a moment before knocking on the doorframe and calling: "Aang?" Only silence answered and Zuko felt a little bit annoyed. "No one falls asleep that fast", he spoke as he went over to the bed, which had a lump in the middle of it, a wrapped up Aang.

A sigh came from Zuko, followed by the prince steeling himself before starting to speak: "If you're going to just lie there silently, then I'll do the talking and you'll just listen." Hesitating only for the briefest of moments, Zuko laid a hand on top of the form that was Aang. "What I said out there; it came out wrong and it certainly did not resemble what I wanted to say in the slightest." Zuko patted his hand a bit, determining that this was Aang's back, and then proceeded to rub the boy soothingly. "I don't know what I wanted to say exactly, but we'll talk again when I do, okay?" No answer came from Aang but Zuko was not really expecting one. The prince stepped away from the bed and made his way to the door.

Keeping his hand on the handle Zuko watched the formless lump for a short moment, certain that there was still something that he needed to say. Once again, however, no words came to Zuko and the prince settled for speaking out softly: "Good night, Aang", and then closing the door with a click.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: This was supposed to be funny, and I guess it was at a point before it went downhill. Ugh, why is this story so gloomy? Even I don't know and I'm the one writing it.


	30. No Turning Back

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 30**

**No Turning Back**

He should be feeling jealous, Zuko thought as he watched Aang complete a yet another kata without fail. The Avatar had a natural talent to learn the moves he needed to bend, it seemed. In that way he was very similar to Azula and Zuko had always been jealous of his sister. But as the prince watched Aang shoot flame after flame and move skilfully across the stone ground, he felt awed by the other's skill. He was also relieved that the boy seemed to be feeling better than the previous night but even more than that, Zuko felt proud.

With a final spin in which the Avatar used his foot to bring a cycle of flames around himself, Aang finished a series of attacks that Zuko had especially prepared for the boy to learn, based off of the way how the prince himself bended. Once again, Aang had completed the form perfectly and Zuko had to agree with Toph on the words the girl had spoken after their first sparring match together. Though he had to wonder how much of his mind was on the moves and how much of it was on the person doing the moves.

"How was that, Sifu Zuko?" Aang questioned. The boy had finally dropped the 'hotman' title but still insisted on using the 'sifu' part. Zuko did not know why it was so but decided not to ask, thinking it was just something Aang did.

"You were just as good as yesterday", Zuko replied with an approving nod of his head. "I couldn't detect a single mistake and you know how much of a critic I am."

The words brought a wide smile to Aang's face and suddenly Zuko became aware of how expectant the pearly grey seemed. Aang was looking at Zuko like he was waiting for something he really wanted or needed, but Zuko had already complimented him. What more could the boy want from him?

Finally the eyes stopped their staring as they trailed to the side. Zuko also noticed Aang's shoulders sag in what seemed to be a disappointed fashion and wondered what the other had been expecting of him. Feeling awfully awkward, Zuko tried to salvage the happy atmosphere from moments ago and spoke: "I think we could stop for today. You've earned a break." The raven-haired teen attempted to smile encouragingly at the shorter male.

"Oh, okay", Aang said with a startled nod and Zuko wondered about the distracted expression on the boy's face before it turned back into one of disappointment. Aang kicked at the ground like he had been denied something while grumbling: "I guess I'll just go see if Katara needs any help in the kitchen." And with that the boy scurried off.

With a frustrated growl Zuko rubbed at his forehead with his hand. For a moment the prince worried that Aang was still affected by that accursed play from the previous night but discarded those thoughts, thinking that it was not like Aang to obsess about things like that. That was his own forte. Still, Zuko had to wonder how it was that every time he thought he was getting closer to understanding Aang something like this would happen, leaving the prince feeling like he had failed an important test of sorts even though he had no idea what the test had been.

1.

It was really impossible to change Zuko, it seemed. As Aang worked to cut the vegetables that Katara needed for the stew she was preparing, he thought back at the ending of his previous training session with Zuko. He had no idea where he had gone wrong. He thought he had gotten Zuko into the habit of sharing physical contact but it seemed that the fire prince was a tougher nut to crack than he had thought.

Every time Zuko had admitted to Aang having performed flawlessly during a lesson, Aang would hug the firebender tightly. This time Aang had decided to not do so for two reasons: one, he was feeling slightly unsure after the events of the previous night and two, he had tried to see if he had succeeded in making Zuko more comfortable with him. He had expected the teen to in turn embrace him but Zuko had not made a move to do so. Even though he had smiled so pleasantly…

Aang shook his head, frustrated at the way he allowed even the memory of one of Zuko's smiles to distract him like this. This was even worse than those times he had ended up stuck staring at Katara when the waterbender was displaying exceptional grace in something.

A blush spread immediately on Aang's face when he realized that he had just compared the fluttery feeling he got from Katara to the warmth that spread into his body whenever Zuko smiled at him. The knife dug right into the wood of the table he was cutting the vegetables on top of.

"Aang!" Katara's voice suddenly exclaimed and Aang jumped, glancing up at the girl who was giving him a slightly disapproving look. "Be more careful with those vegetables. The pieces need to all be about the same size. If there are too large pieces they will stay rare and if they're too small they'll turn soggy." The waterbender tucked a lock of brown hair behind her ear and for once Aang did not pay exceptional attention to the act. "Sokka really hates soggy vegetables."

Usually Aang would have felt depressed at having Katara scold him but this time around the boy was able to think about the comment reasonably and remembered the scenario where Sokka had complained about too soggy vegetables a couple of days back. So, the Avatar did not miss a beat before adding in: "Zuko doesn't like them either." It was only after the words were out of his mouth that Aang wondered just when he had noticed such a detail about the prince.

There was a disapproving hum from Katara and Aang lifted his eyes to the girl when she spoke: "It seems I'm out of salt. I'll go get some more from the bags." The waterbender stood up. "Make sure the pot doesn't boil over."

"Sure", Aang said and nodded his head and with a smile Katara was off and Aang glanced back down at the halfway cut vegetables.

Suddenly there were arms around the airbender's shoulders and a voice whispering in his ear: "You really were great during practice today." A deep blush rose to Aang's cheeks and he placed his hands on top of the arms crossing over his chest. It was almost shyly that he mumbled to the other: "Thank you, Sifu Zuko."

There was an acknowledging sound from the teen behind Aang and Zuko's chin settled on the shorter male's shoulder. It was a pleasant sensation, to feel the other's warm body pressed against his like this, Aang decided. And at that thought the boy remembered something; it was a firebending move he had invented himself and had wanted to show his teacher. The Avatar decided that there was no better time than the present and spoke out: "Zuko, I came up with a new firebending move. Would you like to see it?"

Zuko's form retreated from it's place against Aang's back and the airbender immediately longer to have it back, but ignored that desire as the older male said: "Of course I want to see it, Aang." The firebender glanced around and frowned thoughtfully. "Should we move outside?"

"No, this isn't really a dangerous move", Aang assured the other and lifted his hand up in a fist with the curled fingers facing upwards. "Now watch."

As requested, Zuko observed silently as Aang opened his palm, causing a gently burning ember to rise into the air between the two of them. Deep red flames flickered in a circle, forming an image that looked exactly like an exotic flower. Aang dared to glance up at Zuko's face to see a look of wonderment on the other's face and the Avatar immediately thought that Zuko probably rarely used his firebending for such things, even though there were so many possibilities and wonderful illusions that could be created with the living light that they controlled.

Aang closed his fist and opened it again, causing the flame flower to change colour into a yellow one. So far Aang could only create the colours red, orange and yellow, but the boy knew that it was no wonder, since it was extremely rare for a firebender to create flames of any other colour.

Another movement of a hand and the flower was back to red and Aang questioned: "What do you think?"

A short laugh came from Zuko, one that rang with happiness and had Aang smiling brightly. The airbender watched the other's face, seeing the golden eyes flicker both because of fire and emotion and watched the face keenly even as Zuko spoke in response: "It's exactly what I would expect from you, Aang." And something about the prince's tone told Aang that the words were a compliment.

"I'm glad you like it", Aand admitted with a nod as he brought his other hand up and created an orange flower to keep company to the red one. "I invented this while thinking about you."

"Really?" Zuko's voice asked in a slightly breathless manner and Aang found himself sinking into the golden depths that were the prince's eyes. "You created this while thinking about _me_?"

"Yeah", Aang said with a nod, noticing how his own voice had lowered into almost a whisper. There was just something about Zuko at that moment that made Aang feel like he wanted, no, _needed_ something from the other, but for the life of him the airbender could not think what it was. And was he imagining things or were those beautiful eyes coming closer?

"What the -?" a horrified voice screeched suddenly and Zuko and Aang sprung apart like the harmless flames had burned them while the fires snuffed out by themselves. The two boys looked over at Katara, who was glaring at them angrily as she snapped: "No firebending in the kitchen, or anywhere inside the house!" The girl waved around with the package of salt she had brought with her. "This house is made of wood for spirits' sake! It'll only take one wayward flame to set this place into blaze!"

"We're sorry, Katara", Zuko blurted out before Aang could recover from his own surprise. "It won't happen again." And with that the prince fled out of the room like there really were flames on the loose. Aang watched the other go and wondered why he felt so utterly disappointed and cheated.

_**To be continued…**_


	31. The Call of Reality

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 31**

**The Call of Reality**

"This is nice", Aang murmured as he leaned back to lie down on the dry and warm sand of the beach. "The sunset here is really something."

"Well, why do you think they call this place 'Ember Island'?" Zuko's voice questioned from beside the airbender. The two had retreated to the beach in silence a while ago; the firebender had taught Aang to appreciate these moments of silence and peace that the active boy should have found unbearable. But now, as Aang watched the sky lit in various shades of red and yellow, he did not think there was any other way he would have preferred to spend the evening than by Zuko's side. Especially when the prince spoke in such a soothing voice as he continued: "There is a story, according to which Agni, the great spirit of fire used to live here on this island, and every night he would send his flames over the sky and the ocean to reach the other spirits."

"Why did he do that?" Aang asked curiously, looking up at the other boy. Sure, he had learned many things about Fire Nation culture from Kuzon, but the boy had never been very interested in old fables. Zuko, however, seemed to be filled with knowledge on the things others would have thought a waste of time to learn about. Aang wondered if Zuko's uncle had told him all of these stories he was now sharing with Aang.

"The fire spirit was lonely", Zuko replied easily, his eyes locked on the brilliant display on the sky and ocean surface. "He wished to let others of his kind to know he was here, since he could not cross the ocean himself, being made of fire." The teen leaned back on his elbows and Aang waited for a while before speaking out: "Did anyone come?"

A pause followed, after which Zuko replied in a slightly dark tone: "No. No one came. That's why the sky and ocean light themselves in the evening. According to the story, the spirit still waits for someone to arrive to relieve his loneliness."

'Sounds a lot like Zuko…' Aang thought absent-mindedly and then froze. Where had that thought come from? But, as Aang gave it more thought, he realized that it was pretty accurate. Zuko had been alone for so long, only wanting someone to ease that painful feeling. And at that Aang found himself wondering if he could be that person, here where even the ground beneath them seemed to be lonely. After all, an air spirit could cross multiple oceans without any trouble at all.

"Speaking of burning skies", Zuko started then, his voice gaining an odd serious tone that immediately caught Aang's attention. "Sozin's comet will arrive soon. Do you think you're ready for it?"

"Ah, about that…" Aang started, lowering his gaze when his memory went back to the play from a few days ago. "I…I don't want to face the Fire Lord then. I want to wait until after the comet has passed." The airbender looked up to see an unreadable look on Zuko's face. "I mean, what point is there to fight against him when he's even stronger than he normally would be? I'm going to wait."

Now Zuko's expression was clearly sad and apologetic as he spoke gently: "Aang… You can't."

It was a strange reaction to say the least and Aang immediately voiced a question: "What do you mean?"

A sigh came from Zuko, the teen running a hand through his hair, and then he started: "When the comet arrives, my father is going to use its power to give the Earth Kingdom a blow that he intends to be the last."

The words brought a frown to Aang's face as he wondered on the meaning of they could have. What kind of an attack could possibly lay that much destruction? He asked: "How?"

"Imagine it, Aang: an entire fleet of flying ships carrying firebenders that receive extra power from the comet. They're going to fly over the entire continent, burning everything to the ground: forests, fields, towns and cities. The Fire Lord doesn't plan to leave the earthbenders with any hope of rising against him." Zuko's voice was grave as he spoke and Aang could picture the horrible images the words painted. He had seen the terrifying war balloons the Fire Nation had constructed; the earthbenders would stand no chance against an aerial strike.

"I understand", the Avatar said with a nod. "Either we beat the Fire Lord before the attack or there won't be any point in even trying afterwards." His gaze fell to the sand between the two. "There won't be any point, since it would be all over already."

"You can do it Aang." Aang's head snapped up at the words and his surprised eyes met Zuko's intense golden ones. "You can do amazing things Aang. You can beat the Fire Lord."

"Thank you, Zuko", Aang uttered as his cheeks flushed in pleasure at the other's supportive words. He could not believe how much faith Zuko had in him and he had to wonder just how much of it was justified. But Aang really wanted to believe that he was worthy of Zuko's trust, and so he would do his best.

_**To be continued...**_


	32. Interlude to the Comet

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 32**

**Interlude to the Comet**

How Zuko managed to rise early every morning even after staying up until late after sunset was a mystery to Aang. The two boys had stayed on the beach until the moon had risen high up into the sky but still by the time Aang dragged himself out of bed, Zuko was already up and outside on the yard with Sokka. The two were leaning over a map that was spread out on the ground and Zuko was pointing out different spots while saying something Aang could not hear with the distance between him and the two teens.

"I think the most likely place would be here", Aang could hear Zuko say once he had walked over to the two. Golden eyes glanced up and a tender smile was given as a greeting. Aang's cheeks flushed and he grinned back.

"Really? That place seems really dingy", Sokka commented and Zuko and Aang both directed their attention to the map and teen. "I mean, it's called 'Fat Khomodo'. That doesn't sound like a nice place to hang around."

"Exactly", Zuko replied with a smirk. "It's the place most likely to host the scum of the Fire Nation. Jun loves excitement."

"Jun?" Aang questioned, wondering about the bang he felt when Zuko spoke in that amused tone of voice. Who was Jun? It was certainly a girl's name…

"Jun's a bounty hunter with a bit of a speciality up her sleeve", Zuko explained and looked at Aang again. "Remember how easily she found you and your friends with just a scent?"

Oh, now Aang remembered. Jun was that bounty hunter girl who liked whips and the colour black. Why would Zuko and Sokka be looking for her?

"We're going to need help if we're going to stop the Fire Lord's invasion", Sokka started, as if knowing what Aang was thinking. "Zuko here suggested we find his uncle, since he has friends all around the world that could help us."

"We can only hope that we can gather them all on time", Zuko grumbled with displeasure. "The last thing we need is for this to turn out to be nothing more than a wild frog-goose chase."

"When will we be leaving then?" Aang questioned.

"As soon as possible", Sokka replied, rolling up the map. "We can't waste any more time or we'll be too late to stop the attack."

"Right", Aang agreed with a nod. Still, he wondered if Jun would be willing to help them.

1.

"Bull's eye", Zuko spoke out and smirked in satisfaction. He had managed to catch sight of Jun immediately after opening the door to the shady tavern. Just as he had suspected, Jun was right in the middle of engaging in a bar fight and was in clear sight for all people entering to see. The firebender noticed the other members of the group hesitate and started making his way further in on his own. He dodged a couple of tumbling forms that reeked of sweat, and finally came close enough to Jun for the girl to notice him. A look of confusion crossed the woman's face for a moment, followed closely by recognition. There was one blurry movement from Jun, after which the last thug fell to the floor in a dead faint. Then Jun directed her full attention to Zuko.

"Prince boy", the woman drawled in an amused manner. "Did you work things out with your girlfriend?" She shot a pointed look over Zuko's shoulder to the doorway. The firebender glared at the female, who seemed to get the idea as she waved a hand dismissively and assured the other: "I was just joking with you. And besides…" The woman smirked in a manner that promised nothing good before continuing: "You did say that you were more interested in the monk she was travelling with." The dark eyes glanced over Zuko's shoulder once more. "So, you worked things out with your _boyfriend_ then?"

A groan came from Zuko and the prince could feel his cheeks beginning to heat up as he heard the rest of their mismatched group nearing them. He guessed it had to be Aang and the others from the simple fact that none of the pub's patrons were likely to have the guts to come near Jun again.

"I came here because I need your assistance", Zuko spoke out and Jun actually looked vaguely interested. "I trust you remember the man I was travelling with previously. I need you to help me find him."

"That creepy grandpa?" Jun questioned with a lifted eyebrow, but quieted down once she saw the glare Zuko was giving her. "How did you manage to lose him?"

"Long story", Zuko replied and crossed his arms. "Will you help me or not?"

"Nah", the woman spoke with a shrug. "Doesn't sound too interesting."

"Hey, whip lady", Sokka suddenly joined in on the conversation, stepping next to Zuko to point an accusing finger at Jun. "We're on a mission to save the world here."

"Save the world?" Jun questioned and smiled in a manner that could have been described as seductive if it were not for the wrong atmosphere in the room. "That sounds like there will be a big fight."

"Oh no, we were going to have a tea party", Sokka drawled sarcastically. "_Of course_ there will be a fight!"

"Count me in", Jun spoke with a grin, managing to surprise both Zuko and Sokka. "That sounds really interesting."

"Good", Zuko said and turned around. "Let's go then." He started to walk out of the tavern. Jun immediately fell into step beside him and questioned: "So, you have anything of your grandpa's that I can use to track him down?"

This was the part where things were going to get awkward, Zuko guessed. There was no way for it to be normal for a person to save another person's smelly sandals but, to be truthful, Zuko was not what one would call 'normal'.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: Yeah, I know. This chapter really doesn't make up for the time I've spent off the radar. I'll do better next time. Also, I promise that this story will be finished. I've put too much effort into this to abandon it.


	33. Lost And Found

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 33**

**Lost And Found**

When Jun's Shirshu Nyla had led them to the ruined outer wall of Ba Sing Se, Aang had at first thought it to be a mistake. Why would Zuko's uncle come here of all places? But Zuko had seemed confident that the young woman was on the right track and started to lead the way through a crack they found in the wall. They were more likely to find anything that had been hidden away if they searched on ground level.

"Get a move on, lady", Sokka called back to Jun, who was currently occupied with cooing to Nyla, who would not fit through the narrow crack and would have to stay behind with Appa. Aang did not want to leave his bison either, so he could relate to Jun's unease and the woman probably separated from her beast very rarely.

Jun murmured something more to the animal before turning to Sokka and speaking out: "If I'm a lady, then you shouldn't rush me." The woman smirked. "It's not good manners."

Sokka's only response to the woman's words was a huff before the boy started to lead the way into the dark terrain spreading out before them. It would be difficult to find anything during the night, but none of them wanted to waste any more time. Aang knew that their small group would not be enough to take out an entire fleet of warballoons. They needed more people if they were to stop the Fire Nation's upcoming attack.

Aang had been absolutely certain that they would be spending hours searching the area in vain before finding as much as a hint of life. That was why the airbender was so utterly startled when a tall wall of stone rose up from the ground to surround them.

Toph was the fastest to react. As soon as the wall had risen up the girl steadied herself and sent the rock formation falling down with a few quick movements of her hands. The dry earth lifted up a cloud of dirt when the rocks fells down and Aang tried to concentrate on any sounds that might indicate another attack.

The tension caused Aang to gasp sharply when he felt a weight settle against his back and a moment later the boy realized that there was no need to panic. It was simply Zuko, who had pressed himself against Aang for the sole purpose of watching the Avatar's back for him. The gesture brought a wave of nostalgia along with it, as Aang was reminded of a dark and cold night and a daring escape from a fortress built like a prison. They had been enemies back then, but even then they had been able to work together like they had been doing it for years, or like it had been meant to be.

When Aang laid eyes on a person beyond the settling dust, he realized that he and Zuko would not need to test their teamwork once more, because he recognized the person and knew that he was not an enemy to them.

"Bumi!" Aang called before rushing over to the ancient king. "What are you doing here?"

A cackle came from Bumi, followed by the man speaking out: "I could ask you the same thing, Aang. What are you doing all the way out here in the wilderness?" Even in the darkness Aang could see the wicked grin on Bumi's face. Whatever was hidden in shadows Aang could easily construct from his memories of that mischievous expression.

"Last time I checked, you were trapped in a metal coffin in Omashu", Aang pressed on even as he shared a quick hug with his oldest friend. "How did you escape?"

"Well, as I advised you to do as well, I waited", Bumi replied with a snarky chuckle. "In time an eclipse came along, quite effectively rendering all the firebenders in the city powerless." The man cracked his knuckles briefly. "They were easy to chase out of _my_ city." The king then grinned widely again and his voice turned cheerful as he questioned from Aang: "So, did you do anything exciting on the day of the eclipse?"

"Ah", Aang started awkwardly. "Well, how should I put this?" The take of their failed invasion was not something Aang considered a good topic for discussion.

"Nothing worth mentioning went on", Zuko's voice offered and Aang nodded his head eagerly in agreement.

"Right!" the boy said quickly. "It was just a regular, boring day for us!"

Bumi frowned suspiciously and leaned towards Aang and the Avatar was certain that the matter was not going to be dropped yet. But then the man reached past Aang and the boy turned to see the king poke Zuko's cheek.

"Kuzon, what in the spirits' name have you done to yourself?" Bumi spoke in a scolding tone and Aang saw Zuko's brow furrow. "Your hair is a mess!" Aang could not fight back a snort at those words.

"Excuse me?!" Zuko blurted out in confusion and Aang reached out to grasp his arm. Immediately the prince's head turned and a golden gaze fell on Aang.

"It's fine, Zuko", Aang reassured the other. "Let it slide. Bumi's just really eccentric."

"Eccentric or _senile_?" Zuko hissed out as Bumi glanced to the side, distracted by the gleeful squeal Katara had let out. Aang also directed his attention to the direction of the sound to see Katara with her arms wrapped around the shoulders of who looked like Pakku.

"Katara?" Aang questioned, but was instead answered by Sokka, who bounded over with a wide grin on his face.

"Pakku is our new grampgramp", the boy said cheerfully, ignoring the elderly man's protests at the nickname. "Isn't that great?"

"Um, yeah?" Aang replied, his tone slightly less certain that he would have wanted it to be. He was happy that things had gotten sorted out between Pakku and Kana and he was happy that Sokka and Katara were happy. He just had not seen that coming, not so suddenly.

"So what's with the gathering of old folks?" Jun commented then and Aang suddenly realized that Bumi and Pakku were not the only familiar people there. He recognized Piandao as well as Jeong-Jeong.

"They belong to the Order of the White Lotus", Zuko spoke out in a low tone that was still audible to the group. "Their ideology isn't limited by the borders between the nations."

"You know of us?" Jeong-Jeong queried with a hostile tone and Aang was immediately reminded of just how suspicious the man could be. The firebender came closer to Aang's position, to Zuko's, and spoke in a manner that demanded acknowledgement: "Who are you, boy?"

"He's Kuzon", Bumi cut in, loudly and cheerfully. "He's buddies with Aang and I." With that the old king whirled around and started to make his way into the night while humming a cheerful tune. Aang made to follow him a moment before the man stopped and turned back to them. "You might want to bring your furred companions along or they'll get lonely."

"Uh, right", Aang agreed before turning to Toph. Between the two of them they could get the hole in the wall wide enough to allow passage now that they did not have to worry about the people the caused racket might attract. They had already found the people in question and they were on their side.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: Sorry about taking forever and a day to update. This chapter was hard to write, since it's boring but important.

Also, I was wondering about what I should do with Bumi, since I can't help but want him to be a bit... special whenever I see him. So, he calls Zuko "Kuzon". Whether it's because he's actually confused or he's trying to turn attention away from Zuko is something for you guys to contemplate.


	34. Light in Darkness

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 34**

**Light In Darkness**

When the group made it to the Order's camp, Aang wondered why they had not seen it from miles away with all the campfires that were burning to light the dark of the night. It was nearing midnight, and yet the campfires made it look like it was still twilight.

There were quite a few people gathered at the camp, all of them wearing dark robes with pale collars, the same outfits that Aang now noticed Bumi and the others to be wearing as well. The boy suspected them to be a uniform of sorts, because he could not imagine Bumi dressing up in anything but bright colors otherwise.

After the first impression of the outfits, Aang looked at the people gathered while trying to keep up with Jeong-Jeong, who was leading the group's way. A secret society hidden from the world for generations had remerged to, supposedly, end the war going on. The madness had gone on for long enough even for them and that made Aang realize that this, his friends and the Order, were the last line of defence the world had. They were the only ones left to stop the Fire Lord from enslaving all the four nations to feed his own insane guest for power.

The realization brought Aang's thoughts back to the words he had heard from Zuko only a bit over a day ago. It was not only the matter of them being the only _people_ left to stop Ozai, it was also the matter of this being the only _chance_ left to stop the man.

It was suddenly difficult to breathe, Aang noticed. The boy felt like his chest was being crushed by an invisible pressure. His eyes automatically trailed away from Jeong-Jeong's back to look to the spot partially behind and partially beside himself. Usually that position was always occupied by a specific person, who was now missing.

A strangled gasp was released as Aang's head whirled further back, the boy's eyes meeting Bumi's own. He tried to keep his rising panic out of his voice as he questioned: "Where's Zuko?"

"Kuzon went off with Piandao a few moments ago", Bumi answered easily, like Aang's world was not just falling apart. "He's going to go see Grand Lotus Iroh."

"O-oh", Aang uttered in response and could not stop his gaze from wandering around the camp, as if he hoped to catch a glimpse of dark red cloth. "Um…" he murmured hesitantly. "Which way was it?" He did not plan to interrupt Zuko's important reunion, but he needed to talk to the teen as soon as he was done. He needed Zuko's reassuring presence and unwavering faith in him right then.

"Aang?" a soft voice queried and Aang turned around to look at Katara, who was frowning at him in worry. "Is something the matter?"

"I…" Aang started, only to trail off when he felt a sudden wave of uncertainty. What was wrong with him? He used to be able to confide in Katara no matter what was the problem but now all he could think about was Zuko.

"I feel like the world is coming down on me", Aang spoke weakly, determined to tell Katara the truth _like he used to_. "Seeing all these people here, prepared to reveal their secret Order to the world to fight the Fire Nation, it really brings this all into a new light." The Avatar took a wavering breath. "This is really going to be the final battle. There will be no retreating to regroup this time around." The boy would have probably gone on, maybe even for a long while, if it were not for the warm hands clasping around his own. Aang's eyes met Katara's blue ones and the girl gave him a weak but sweet smile.

"It's alright for you to feel that way, Aang", the waterbender said softly. "We're all scared, we all know this is going to be it." The hands holding Aang's own squeezed tighter. "We're all here for you. We have stayed by your side this long, we will help you see this through." The way Katara's mouth curved, right at that moment, reminded Aang so strongly of Zuko that the boy could imagine the fire prince's voice speaking in place of Katara's own. "You can do this, Aang."

"Thank you", Aang managed to utter, the weight in his chest lightening even as Katara's hands released their hold. "I feel a lot better now."

"I'm glad", were the last words Katara spoke before turning around and proceeding on with the group, Aang also hurrying to catch up. There was still much to do before they were ready to stop the Fire Nation's final invasion, but they still had some time left. They would simply have to use that remaining time wisely.

_**To be continued...**_


	35. An Impassable Wall

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 35**

**An Impassable Wall**

No words were exchanged between Zuko and Piandao as the latter led the teen to the tent Iroh inhabited. Zuko appreciated the silence, as he was too busy fighting off his internal turmoil to focus on any conversation. And yet all of his efforts were in vain, as his turbulent emotions still got the better of him when Piandao came to a stop at a tent positioned at the back of the camp.

This had to be it. There were no tents beyond this one. As soon as that realization hit home within Zuko's mind, the boy froze in place. His fear was gripping at his heart, stomach as well as his throat and the prince wondered if it was possible to die from being scared of being hated. And it did not necessarily have to be caused by the faith alone; Zuko also feared the very thought of Iroh's disappointed expression, the one he would surely give him for taking so long to realize what was right.

Zuko wanted to see Iroh, he truly did, but he had no desire to see the man's reaction to meeting him. Zuko may have been reformed but he had not been even close to it when he and Iroh had last spoken to one another. What if Iroh had given up on him?

There was a shift from Piandao, and Zuko turned his gaze to the man as the other spoke: "King Bumi called you Kuzon, right?" Zuko merely nodded his head mutely in response and Piandao took a breath before asking: "So then, Kuzon, why are you not going in? I can see that you want to."

"It's complicated", Zuko spoke and wondered why the words rang familiar to his own ears. Like he had used that excuse before. And he did not feel like using it anymore.

"He might not want to see me", Zuko said instead. "He was my teacher and guide and yet I constantly spurned his advice and friendship. I betrayed him." The teen's fists clenched at those words. "I recently turned away from that path, but it might have been too late. He might not forgive me."

A moment of silence followed Zuko's words, after which Piandao replied: "You're young, so let this old man tell you something about love." Zuko wondered how the other had seen through him so completely when a hand landed on Zuko's shoulder, heavy and comforting. "Love cannot be destroyed by a single act. That bond can be weakened and stretched thin, but not severed. Do not fear someone who loves you, Prince Zuko."

A gasp escaped Zuko but before he could question the other, Piandao released him and walked off, leaving Zuko alone in the night with his thoughts. Zuko turned back to the tent before him with a frown settled over his features. The only thing standing between him and his uncle now was a thick cloth that hung in the tent's entrance and Zuko wondered if he had the strength to move it. The tent flap was heavy, yes, but the concrete weight had nothing to do with the symbolic weight the piece of cloth held.

Piandao had spoken of love, and he had known who Zuko was. That meant that the man had confidence in Zuko and Zuko knew that was saying a lot with the reputation he had managed to create for himself in his misguided efforts for affection. But now Zuko was on the right road, of that he was certain; he simply needed to do everything in his power to get Iroh to forgive him. Even beg for the man's forgiveness if that was what it took.

Zuko lifted his hand towards the flap but hesitated. He worried his bottom lip as his hand closed into a fist and then opened again, each of his fingers brushing against his thumb like he was brushing off dust. Then he drew his lips into a narrow line and grabbed a hold of the cloth in front of him.

_**To be continued...**_


	36. Father Mine

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 36**

**Father Mine**

Iroh stood right in front of the tent flap, knowing that Zuko was on the other side. But, as much as he wanted to see the precious boy again, he did not move the cloth aside. This was Zuko's obstacle, a test to see if the youth was ready to face his actions and stop running.

Not to mention Iroh himself was scared, as Zuko possibly was as well. Iroh feared that the moving of the flap would reveal the same broken and lost child from before or, worse yet, one with a heart shattered beyond repair.

There was a shift and darkness slithered into the tent from the small opening. A human being followed the shadows, accompanied by a wavering voice that spoke: "Uncle?"

The voice sounded so weak that it almost broke Iroh's heart to hear it. Yet, at the same time, it was also powerful with a desperate yearning that resonated within Iroh's soul.

Standing silent, Iroh observed his nephew in the dim light of the lantern stationed in the centre of the tent. The boy had clearly changed. The anger and pain that had always been present before were now gone, making this new Zuko seem deflated in comparison. The boy looked so small but at the same time he gave off the impression of being larger than life. It was apparent that Zuko had discovered his destiny at last.

"I'm sorry", a voice whispered and Iroh saw Zuko's eyes, previously hidden from view beneath his hair. The golden gaze shimmered with tears as the boy released a sniffle before uttering again: "I'm sorry."

"You have no need to be", Iroh spoke then and got a disbelieving look in return, one distorted from the pure agony Zuko was surrounded by. "The time for guilt is past, I believe." The man smiled even as Zuko's tears begun to fall. "Now, it's time to forgive."

Slowly, hesitant even now, Zuko's arms rose to Iroh's shoulders. Seeing that this was an act for as much Zuko himself as for Iroh, the man allowed his nephew to move at his own pace. Only after Zuko was close, the teen's head resting against Iroh's shoulder, Iroh lifted his own hands to close Zuko into an embrace.

Zuko's body shook against Iroh's, the elder feeling a wave of nostalgia come over him as he became aware of him having the one thing he had left to want in his arms. Zuko was coming undone, and that more than anything told Iroh that the boy was finally healing after years of constant pain.

"I love you", Zuko spoke out and clung to Iroh's robe tightly. There was something unspoken there, something Zuko was no ready to say yet, but this was enough for Iroh's heart to expand from his overbearing affection for this child. Deciding that it would come out when the time was right, Iroh merely held the boy for a few moments longer and replied: "I love you too."

_**To be continued...**_


	37. Moonlight's Embrace

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 37**

**Moonlight's Embrace**

The camp was silent, so silent that it seemed unnatural to Aang, who had grown accustomed to hearing the sounds of animals even during the darkest hours of the night. But the camp was so large that there were no animals near enough to the tent Aang shared with Sokka for the Avatar to hear the comfort of those sounds of constant life. The only sound of life Aang could hear was Sokka's snoring, and that was not very comforting. The situation was not new to Aang, but it was more bothersome than what was usual, because the boy was also worried about Zuko's continued absence. Aang wondered if the prince was going to be accompanying them that night at all.

Just as Aang thought about that, the boy heard sounds of movement at the entrance of the tent as the flap was moved aside. A familiar voice thanked someone before more shuffling followed and Aang could now feel another's presence nearby. Then the same voice from before queried: "Aang? What are you doing still awake?"

How had the other known, Aang wondered as he turned around to peer up at Zuko's curious face. The prince gave a slight smile before he spoke in an amused tone: "You were holding your breath. Were you waiting for me?"

Aang had not even realized that he had stilled his breath as he focused on listening to Zuko. Now his breathing started off as normal and he felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

"You vanished without saying a word", Aang explained. "Of course I was worried."

"I'm sorry, Aang", Zuko offered gently and Aang looked over to see the other giving him an apologetic smile. "I won't do that to you again." The prince sat down on the ground. "I spoke with my uncle."

There was a lightness in Zuko's voice, one Aang could not remember ever hearing from the other before. That more than anything told Aang that the prince had managed to set things right between him and his uncle.

"I'm happy for you, Zuko", Aang said and wondered if it would be fine to touch the other to show his sincerity. Zuko made the decision for him, Aang found out, when the other's arms wrapped around him in a tight embrace and the boy found himself pulled against the prince's warm frame.

Even though it was not the first time Aang had been held by Zuko, Aang noticed a clear difference between this time and the previous ones. Usually Zuko's hold was loose, even at its securest, a clear sign of the other's discomfort at open displays of affection. But this time Zuko was truly holding Aang tightly, almost desperately. And the usual scent of ashes that clung to Zuko's clothes after firebending practise was dulled now, and there was a slight hint of a herbal aroma, one that must have come from his visit to his uncle. But even with that last anomaly, this was still purely Zuko Aang had wrapped around him in such a manner and Aang clung to the fabric of the other's shirt.

"Thank you Aang, for being there for me and for believing in me all this way", Zuko spoke softly, the close proximity allowing Aang to feel each word breathed against his temple and ear. "There's no way I could have gotten this far without you."

"There's no need to thank me Zuko", Aang assured the prince gently. "You yourself made the right choice, and that's what everything comes down to. No one can make your choices for you."

A chuckle came from Zuko, Aang feeling the action from the body against his more than hearing it with his ears. The prince pulled back and Aang was suddenly much more aware of the coolness of the night air than he had been when he'd been lying down waiting for word of Zuko. The Avatar looked at his companion, the other's expression one of amusement, mixed with an embarrassed reddening on his cheeks, and Zuko let out another short chuckle before uttering: "You think way too highly of me, Aang."

The words were humble, but Zuko's tone was more amused than self-reprimanding. And from that Aang could notice the difference between the Zuko who had first joined them, completely lacking any confidence, and the Zuko of now. It was a nice realization, and as Aang made the comparison he truly saw how much Zuko had changed during the short amount of time. They had started off as not even friends and now they were…

That was where Aang's thoughts trailed off. His first thought would have been to call Zuko a friend but now Aang felt that Zuko had somehow surpassed that title. But what was there to call him, other than a friend? A companion?

"I think it would be best if I let you sleep now", Zuko offered with a grin. "Do you want me to stay here beside you? Just to make sure I won't vanish?" There was humour in the prince's tone, but somehow Aang could not find it in himself to be amused. He really would not have minded Zuko's comforting presence, even though his previous conversation with Katara had reassured him of their mission's success.

"Aang?" Zuko's voice questioned, the tone suddenly worried. The prince had apparently caught on to the shift in the boy's mood. "Is there something wrong?" The other frowned. "Were you really that worried?"

Yes. Aang really had been worried, about a number of things. But Zuko was here now, and all Aang could remember was that need to see and hear the other before. The boy gave the firebender a reassuring smile, used to conjuring one up in moments.

"It's really nothing", Aang assured the other. "But, I think I would like to have you close tonight."

Aang was not sure if Zuko would agree, when Aang offered no explanation to his request, but he did hope for it. The two of them connected in a manner that was different from any other. And it seemed that their connection was working its magic at that time as well, when Zuko gave a reassuring smile and spoke his consent.

When Aang lied on his bedding with Zuko's arm heavy on top of him, the boy found it much easier to allow the silence to slip away from his focus. The steady, deep breaths from the body next to his were like a calming lullaby and Aang wondered when it was that he had grown so dependant on having Zuko by his side.

Chancing a glance at his companion's sleeping face, Aang allowed himself the luxury of observing Zuko's face at its naked, expressionless state. Even as Aang drew comfort from the other simply being there, the boy was aware of the protectiveness that was stirring in his chest. It was true that Zuko calmed him and made him feel stronger, but it was also because of those emotions that Aang felt the need to guard the other from anything that might harm him.

A sigh came from Aang then, its tone betraying a slight hint of the resignation the boy felt. It was the duty of the Avatar to protect the whole world, and yet Aang singled Zuko out from the surrounding world. It made the burden easier to bear, to think he was doing this all for one person. And Zuko was his one person.

_**To be continued...**_


	38. First Step, Right off a Cliff

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 38**

**First Step off a Cliff**

Aang really had to wonder why Jun chose to stay in his company out of all the other people there were to choose from. Still, despite his distrust towards the young woman, he much rather preferred to have her where he could see her rather than have her wandering around getting into trouble.

"You know…" Jun finally drawled after a long, uneasy silence and Aang snapped to attention. "Your friend has really matured since the last time I saw him."

Of course the woman was going to want to talk about Zuko. What else could the two of them possibly have to talk about? It was not like Aang was the person to go to with talks about their future battle plans.

"What kind of girls does he like?" Jun questioned then and Aang stiffened. He had known this was coming up! Well, Aang was not going to let the woman have Zuko, although Aang could not see any right he would have for stopping it. In the end the airbender snapped: "He's mine!"

A silence followed then, Aang wondering if he was possibly even more surprised at his outburst than Jun looked like to be. He certainly had not meant for that to come out but right then Aang could not remember what it was that he had been about to say. Still, the words had been the truth and now it was only a matter of figuring out just what he had meant with them.

"I thought you were with the prince boy", Jun commented then and Aang gave her a peculiar look. Now he had a feeling he had missed something.

"Um…" Aang started, a bit hesitantly. "Who are we talking about again?"

Jun's painted lips stretched into a smirk that should have been too foreboding to look attractive. Then the woman uttered: "That Water Tribe boy, Sokka." She purred with pleasure and Aang shifted nervously. "He's absolutely savage."

Now that sounded insulting to Aang. He knew that Fire Nation thought the Water Tribe to be filled with savages among other stereotypes their propaganda contained, but he was not about to allow such misinformation to go around where he could do something about it.

"Sokka is not a savage!" Aang exclaimed in outrage and Jun's smirk faded at the unexpected reaction. "He's one of the smartest people I know!" It was the truth. All of their plans were crafted by Sokka.

"And he's the manliest too, no doubt", Jun murmured and slowly started to smirk again. "No offence to your lover, but that ancient father of his is more of a man than the prince boy."

"I think he's man enough", Aang spoke when he suddenly felt the need to defend Zuko even as he did not really understand what he was defending the prince against. Jun really said the strangest things. "And Iroh is Zuko's uncle, not father."

Jun arched one slim, black eyebrow at Aang before drawling: "Oh is he now…" without any hint of question in her tone and Aang had no idea how to respond.

Aang could actually see her point, after all.

_**To be continued...**_

Author's Notes: How's that for a speedy update? I figured you guys deserved a treat to celebrate the story's breaking of the fifty thousand hits limit. You guys are awesome.


	39. Stuck Between

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 39**

**Stuck Between**

As soon as dawn had broken after the night of their arrival at the Order's camp, Sokka had informed his friends that he would be consulting the members of the Order and see how they could help them reach their goal to end the war. It would be better that the others concentrated on giving Aang any possible last bits of advice. There was not enough time for Aang to learn many new techniques, but there were still enough days left for him to perfect the ones he already knew.

Suki had insisted on sticking along with Sokka to the meeting, and Sokka knew the girl well enough to know that refusal was out of the question. So the two of them ended up going to the negotiations together.

The members of Order of the White Lotus had a campaign of their own here in Ba Sing Se, it was revealed. They intended to liberate the city on the very same day the team was going to be encountering the Fire Nation's forces. But the Order still agreed to help, even if it was only by rounding up anyone who would be willing to rise against the Fire Nation. With the revelation of the upcoming invasion there were bound to be a great deal of people willing to fight, as not doing so would mean allowing the upcoming genocide to happen. The Order had offered to use all of the connections it had across the world, and Sokka had readily accepted.

After the meeting Sokka and Suki were on their way for a bit of a practise of their own, when suddenly a dark-clad form appeared in their path to block their way. Sokka was slightly startled by the woman's sudden appearance, but could actually face the other's painted face easily by now.

"Jun, what do you need?" Sokka asked the woman. Katara was always unnerved by the bounty hunter's presence but to Sokka she was an annoyance at most, but most of the time actually bearable.

"Just wondering if you have a moment", Jun prompted and Sokka grinned before replying: "We were actually on our way to practise our forms, but if it's just a moment then I think it's fine."

"Oh, practise?" Jun queried and her black lips curled into a smirk. "Sword practise?"

"Yeah!" Sokka said excitedly, realizing that this was actually a person who he had not yet shown his sword to. "My sword is made out of a meteorite, so it's actually a space sword! How cool is that?"

"Very cool indeed", Jun drawled and something about the woman's tone had Sokka thinking that no one actually spoke about weapons in such a tone, well, except for Jun, apparently. But Sokka did not get a chance to determine what exactly was wrong with the tone before Jun was leaning her face close to his own, very close, and murmuring: "I'd love to see your sword, if you'd show it to me."

"Or maybe I should show you a few choice Kioshi Warrior moves", Suki spoke abruptly, landing a hand on Sokka's shoulder as she stepped past the boy to be face to face with Jun. "How would you like that?"

"That's a great idea!" Sokka agreed readily. "You girls go and practise by yourselves while I'll put down some drafts for a plan of action." He needed to get started right away, while the ideas were still fresh.

Suki and Jun did actually do as Sokka suggested, wandering off together. But Sokka wondered about the air of hostility between the two female warriors. His instincts were telling him that something was off, but he could not quite put his finger on what that something was. Oh well, it probably was not anything very important or alarming anyway.

_**To be continued...**_


	40. Second Step, Losing Balance

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 40**

**Second Step, Losing Balance**

Soon after his talk with Jun, Aang wandered to the outskirts of the camp. Midday usually found Zuko in the middle of meditation and it seemed that the firebender was true to the habit as Aang found him sitting cross-legged on the best possible spot where he could enjoy the late summer sun.

"Zuko?" Aang queried softly when he reached the prince, his tone hesitant since he did not know how Zuko would react to him interrupting his meditation. "Can I ask you something?" He sat down to wait for the reply.

A hum came from Zuko, followed by the teen uttering: "Go right ahead."

Aang waited a while longer, until the golden eyes slid open, before he spoke: "I was wondering if you knew what it means for someone to be considered a man."

Head tilting to the side, Zuko frowned in a displeased manner before questioning: "Did someone make a comment to you or something?"

"Nothing like that", Aang hurried to calm the firebender, not very keen on the thought of Zuko rushing off to defend him against an imaginary insult. "It came up in a conversation."

"Well, in that case…" Zuko muttered and ran a hand through his hair. "When people say that someone's a man, they mean that he's someone dependable and strong, someone mature."

"Okay…" Aang trailed off as he wondered if there was a chance of Jun having meant something else with 'man', since the amused tone did not go together with what Zuko had just said. He scratched at his chin nervously. "But, um, is it possible for girls to mean something different?"

"Oh, girls", Zuko growled out in a displeased manner. "You want to know what girls mean." The tone Zuko spoke with was enough to tell Aang that some unpleasant memory was attached there. "To girls the concept of being a man is different. Girls think that a manly person is handsome and physically powerful, someone who can make them feel safe."

"Ah, I see", Aang replied and wondered why Zuko seemed so upset about something that did not sound all that bad. He watched Zuko in thought and thought about how Jun had claimed that the prince was not manly. The firebender had grown considerably stronger lately, both physically and mentally, and he was reliable and had an aura of safety around him. And as for his looks…

Aang felt his cheeks begin to burn and he instantly lowered his gaze from Zuko's face. Why was he thinking about Zuko in such a way? There was no way the firebender would appreciate it.

"Now how about you tell me who you've been talking to?" Zuko suggested then and Aang's cheeks flushed anew from embarrassment.

"No one important!" the boy hurried to answer. "Just forget about it."

"I don't think so", Zuko murmured and leaned in to be face to face with Aang. "Tell me who it was."

Zuko was so close Aang could smell the scent of burned wood that always clung to the firebender's clothes. In addition to that Aang could see the other's eyes so clearly that he could make out the spots colored pure sunlight among the dark gold and, by the spirits, Aang could feel the teen's hot breath on his face.

"Tell me", Zuko pressed insistently and every syllable blew a new puff of hot, hot, hot air over Aang's cheeks.

"It was Jun!" Aang shouted out, sure that at least half of the camp could hear the outburst. "It was Jun, so just get out of my face _please_!" 'Back off, before I kiss you!'

Truth be told, Aang really did not need to tell Zuko to move away, because the firebender had done exactly that as soon as the Avatar had first snapped. Now the prince was watching Aang with a mixture of surprise and thoughtful curiosity, apparently trying to figure out the reason for Aang being so jumpy.

"I make you nervous", Zuko commented. The words were not a question, but an observation, and Aang stayed silent to allow the firebender to try and figure the situation out himself. "I take it this topic of manhood involved talking about me as well?"

"Yeah", Aang replied awkwardly while rubbing the back of his neck. That was how it went and there was no need for Zuko to find out just how the topic had come up. It had been nothing more than a misunderstanding, a very stupid misunderstanding.

"Maybe I should have a talk with Jun", Zuko commented and made to stand up, but Aang leaped up to stop him. The airbender managed to grasp a hold of the taller teen's arm before he lost his balance and fell sideways. His grip on Zuko's arm remained, however, and the firebender ended up tumbling to the ground along with him.

The scent of burned wood mixed with that of lilies, the faint trace of flowery fragrance only distinguishable now that Aang's face was buried in the front of Zuko's shirt. The airbender lay on top of the other male and felt the other's heartbeat speed up from adrenaline until it matched his own.

"A-Aang", Zuko uttered in a startled manner and Aang fumbled as he tried to get off of the older boy.

"I'm sorry", Aang said hurriedly and managed to finally look Zuko in the eye. "Can't you just forget about the whole thing? I'm sure Jun meant no harm to anyone."

"Are you kidding?" Zuko queried incredulously. "This is Jun we're talking about. She's made for trouble." The firebender looked at Aang's pleading expression and released a resigned sigh. "Fine. I'll let it slide, this once."

"Thanks, Zuko", Aang said with a wide grin and managed to finally stand up. "I appreciate it."

"Right, right. Forgive and forget and so on", Zuko murmured and stood up as well, able to do so with ease when Aang's weight was off of him. "As you wish."

"Great", Aang cheered, the happiness covering up any relief he might have been feeling. He really did not want Jun to recount their conversation to Zuko; that would result in trouble that could not be solved with a pair of wide eyes.

_**To be continued...**_

Author's Notes: Here you go everyone! A nice, swift update to make up for sucking so much with my last one! Comments are, naturally, appreciated, especially considering that this has two good things rolled into one: a fast update and Zukaang progress!


	41. Third Step Freefall

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 41**

**Third Step Freefall**

Aang really should have been practising. If someone caught him being idle, he would get the scolding of a lifetime. But the youth could not help it, not when he had managed to come across such a breathtaking sight.

Half a year previously Aang would never have expected to find the blood red glow of fire being bended beautiful, but half a year ago he also had never seen Zuko so focused on said bending.

"Awe-inspiring, isn't he?" a voice murmured from beside Aang and the airbender nodded his head in agreement.

"He's beautiful." Only after the words had been spoken did Aang truly realize what had been said. Eyes widening in shock he shot a horrified look at General Iroh. "A-ah, I mean-"

Laughter cut the airbender off and Aang directed his gaze to the ground in embarrassment. Why did he have to go and say _that_ of all things? He knew Zuko valued Iroh's opinion over anyone else's, so if Iroh told Zuko that Aang was some sort of creep that should be stayed away from, then Zuko would do just that.

"He's always been a beautiful child, inside and out." Iroh's tone was gentle and Aang found himself relaxing. "But lately he's seemed strong as well. Would it be correct to assume that you had something to do with that change, young Avatar?"

"I certainly hope so." Aang chanced to look back at Iroh, only to see that the man's attention was on Zuko. "I've been trying to be as supportive as I possibly can."

"Something both he and I appreciate, I'm sure." Iroh turned to give Aang an unreadable smile. He patted the young boy's shoulder. "You have my blessing." And with that the man walked off, leaving Aang frowning in confusion at the words. What had he meant by _that_?

The airbender watched Zuko complete his form, after which the firebender's attention directed automatically to Aang, like the prince somehow knew Aang was standing there.

"Hi Aang, did you want to practise too?" Zuko was smiling again as he walked to Aang, and the younger boy felt his breath catch. He really had to learn to control that.

And apparently his lapse had stretched too long, when Zuko's gaze narrowed with worry. "Is everything alright, Aang?"

"Yes!" Aang jumped, feeling his cheeks burn like they were aflame. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Zuko did not look convinced. "You were staring at me."

"U-um…" Aang quickly looked away from Zuko's face. "You…uh…"

"Is there something on my face?" Zuko rubbed his cheek with a hand, as if to see if there was anything there.

Aang grabbed the lifted hand and pulled it away from Zuko's face. "There's nothing there. Your face is perfect." Aang felt the warmth of the hand in his and quickly released his grip. "I-I mean, you're really pretty." His eyes widened in shock, his startled expression matching Zuko's own. "No!" He lifted his hands. "That came out wrong too!"

Zuko laughed, not unkindly, and Aang's stomach flipped strangely. The firebender took Aang hand and held it securely, comfortingly. "Calm down, Aang. The more you panic, the less sense you make."

There was truth in the words, so Aang took a deep breath. "I…I just felt like watching you. It calms me."

Zuko's cheeks turned a soft red at the admission, the older boy clearly surprised. But he did not seem upset, and Aang noted that the other was still holding his hand. And then Zuko smiled, that specific way that was Aang's weakness. His lips curled into a wide, quirky curve while his eyes shone like gold in the sun. The awkward ponytail Zuko had tied his hair into to keep the wind from throwing it into his face was slowly coming apart, some of the shortest strands hanging out against his cheeks and forehead. Aang loved seeing Zuko like this.

Wait a moment. Loved? Aang _loved_ seeing Zuko like this? Aang loved…Zuko?

"What am I supposed to say here?" Zuko laughed with awkward humor and Aang was brought back to reality. "I…I've never had anyone say something like that to me."

"I-it depends on whether you like hearing it or not." Aang tried not to think about how his hand was still being held by Zuko. "Do you?"

Another laugh, a surprised one, and Zuko's blush deepened. "Funny. Were it anyone else, probably not. But, since it _is_ you, I don't mind." Slowly, Zuko's lips cracked open to reveal a grin, the first one Aang had ever seen from the other. "Since it's you, I don't mind how many times I hear it." Zuko's hand finally let go of Aang's own, only to come up to cup the other's cheek. "Because, it's the same for me." And with that Zuko closed the distance between them, tilting Aang's head back.

"Zuko…" Aang started quietly but forgot what it was that he was about to say when he felt lips against his forehead, brushing against his skin with the lightest of touches. He stared in awe as Zuko pulled back and _looked_ at him. There was something so foreign, so _powerful_ in that gaze that Aang felt the ground beneath his feet vanish. And he succumbed to darkness.

_**To be continued…**_


	42. How I Feel

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 42**

**How I Feel**

When Aang came to, the first thing he noticed was that he had a very painful headache. After that became the realization that he was laying down in the shade of a tree, and lastly he noted that Zuko was right there next to him, and that brought all the memories back. He remembered the terrified realization and the kiss-induced illness that had sent him into unconsciousness.

"You're awake, thank the Spirits." Immediately Zuko was supporting him, helping him sit up, all the while mumbling apologies in a steady mantra.

"It's alright, Zuko." Aang really did not want to see Zuko freaking out when he himself felt like he was losing grip. "I've just been under a lot of stress lately. You surprised me and I guess my mind couldn't keep up."

Zuko's expression was hard, unreadable. But there was pain in his golden eyes. "I'm really sorry about that." The older boy's voice was quiet, almost a whisper. "I swear I'll never do anything of the sort again."

"I didn't say I minded!" Aang hurried to reassure the other, but Zuko did not look convinced.

"Of course you wouldn't _say_ something like that but it's very obvious that if I made you terrified enough to lose consciousness, then I really shouldn't have done what I did."

"I said I was stressed!" Aang snapped, not about to let the other just refuse to listen to him. "It's not easy having the weight of the whole world on your shoulders!"

"I know that!" Zuko buried his face in his hands. "That's why…that's why I wanted to show you that you have my complete support, that you're not alone." The hands slid down Zuko's face, revealing the other's hesitant eyes. "I'm not asking anything, or even expecting anything. I just want you to know."

"Know what?" Aang didn't think he really had to hear this; he could think of only one reason for Zuko to kiss him, no matter how chastely.

Zuko took his hands off his face to grasp Aang's hands within his own. The hold was secure, like the other was afraid Aang would run away from what he was about to say.

"I love you, Aang." Zuko was silent for many moments after that, apparently as disbelieving as Aang over what he had just spoken. "All I want, or need, is your friendship. I would never try to pressure you into anything, believe that." Zuko's expression was desperate and Aang understood, understood Zuko's fear of losing anyone he cared about. "I just thought you deserved to know. You have my unwavering support and unconditional love. I'd d-" The firebender stopped himself there, for reasons unknown to Aang, and released his hold on the Avatar. "You can go now."

"But Zuko." Aang tried to move closer to the other, only to have Zuko back away from him. "My response-"

"Doesn't matter," Zuko cut him off, standing up as his hands came to cover his face again. "As I said, I only wanted you to know; you don't have to do anything for me."

"That's not fair!" Aang jumped up, glaring at the older boy. "I have the _right_ to speak my mind."

"Fine, then do so." Zuko's tone was defeated, broken. "Just, not right now. Give it some time, some thought, and only say what you _absolutely_ think you want to say." The golden eyes refused to meet Aang's gaze. "I really don't think I can even _hear_ what you have to say now.

"But, Zuko, it's the same for me." Aang tried to touch Zuko, but the other turned away from him. "Listen to me! _I'm not rejecting you!_"

"You're still misunderstanding me." Now Zuko sounded angry. He also looked the part when he revealed his face to Aang, his good eye narrowed to match his scarred one. "I'd do _anything_ for you. I'd die for you, I'd _kill _for you." The other looked malicious all of a sudden, almost insane, and Aang stepped back in fright. Zuko laughed.

"Now you see? No, Aang, you can't love me, not the way I do you." The firebender smiled, but there was something twisted about it, it wasn't beautiful anymore. "But it doesn't matter, you don't have to. So just run off and be with someone better suited for you, someone not as…" Zuko never spoke the last word, a small mercy, and then turned around once more to walk away.

Aang did not stop him this time.

_**To be continued…**_

Author's notes: I can guess what everyone's thinking. Something along the lines of "What the hey?" probably.


	43. Burn

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 43**

**Burn**

Toph took pride in her dedication to her training even now when the arrival of Sozin's Comet was mere days away. She wanted to master her metalbending, because it would without a doubt be useful against the Fire Nation's metal contraptions. It was too bad that she did not have much she could practise with, since there were only so many shields the camp was willing to allow her to twist, even though she restored them to their proper shapes afterwards.

In battle there was always a certain level between concentration and perception that needed to be reached. It was difficult to pay attention to one's surroundings while trying to bend an element to your will. But for Toph it was a second nature to be aware of everything around her even while focusing on moving the earth. She was actually more sensitive than normal while she was actively bending.

It was because of this tendency that Toph noticed the approaching unsteady footsteps far before they were near enough for her to recognize the by now familiar footfalls.

"Zuko, where are you headed all by yourself?" Toph turned to the firebender, feeling amused at the other's staggering walking. "Not to mention in such shape. You're wobbling like you'd had cactus juice."

"Toph." Zuko's tone was confused as he came to an immediate pause. A moment passed before the other was capable of an answer, although a very unclear one. "Nowhere, anywhere." Toph felt the other's heart thumping rapidly.

"Your heartbeat's all over the place." The girl frowned in worry. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, everything." Zuko's breathing was heavy, exhausted. "Toph, I think I'm losing my mind."

The statement seemed out of place to Toph, but it still worried her and so she had to force a laugh. "Figuratively speaking, right?"

"No, I mean I really am going insane." Zuko was wobbling again, like he was about to collapse. Toph tapped the ground with her foot, lifting the rocky ground so that the boy had something to lean on, and Zuko slumped against the newly formed rock with a grateful sigh before mumbling a weak thank you.

"What happened?" Toph stepped closer to her friend, knowing that there had to have been an event that caused Zuko to break down like this.

"I said something to Aang, something I didn't mean to." Zuko's speech was slurred but Toph managed to understand the words. "I just can't remember _what_ it was that I said." A strangled sound half came out of Zuko's throat, one so muffled Toph couldn't identify it. "Something's crumbling apart inside me, and I don't know why."

"How do you feel otherwise?" Toph touched Zuko's hand, trying to get a more specific feel of her friend's condition. The other's skin was hot, beyond feverish.

"It feels like I'm burning." Zuko paused, hesitant as he tried to make sense of the sensations. "But…I also feel powerful. It's strange, there's no reason, it's not a particularly bright day-" Laughter cut off the sentence and Toph felt an unpleasant shiver go up her spine. "The comet, Sozin's Comet is nearing. That's why, that's why I'm losing my grip like this."

"Can we do something about it?" Toph crossed her arms in a gesture of sternness. "Is there anything that would help you stay focused?"

"Well, maybe this wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't so messed up to begin with." Zuko laughed at his own words, but the tone told Toph clearly that the firebender was in fact far from amused at the situation.

A sensation, one almost overlooked, took Toph's attention away from her friend as she tried to pinpoint the source of what she felt.

"Toph?" Zuko's tone was worried and Toph reached up to grasp his arm.

"Someone's here," was all Toph managed to get out before Zuko knocked her to the ground, right before the ground shattered like from an explosion. There was only one attack that could catch her off guard like that, without her seeing it coming.

Lightning bending.

"I must say you're _terrible_ at keeping a low profile, Zuzu." The gloating voice was familiar, and it hadn't been a long enough time since their last encounter with Azula to not recognize the harping.

"Toph, you have to go." Zuko steadied himself as Toph climbed to her feet. "Warn the others. She knows we're trying to gather people. Who knows who else she's told."

"Don't worry about that, brother dear." Azula was coming closer, moving slowly and slightly unsteadily. The movements reminded Toph of something she had sensed from elsewhere only a short while ago. "I had to get you alone, so I wouldn't have anyone else butting in. I haven't told anyone of your little coop in the making."

"Toph, now," Zuko hissed heatedly and Toph huffed.

"I'm not going anywhere, Firecracker." The earthbender took her stance. "I'm helping."

"It's not safe."

"I can take care of myself!" Toph bristled; where was this distrust coming from?

"I know that!" Zuko actually raised his voice at this point. "She's not right, Toph. You can't see her face so you wouldn't know... She's too unpredictable to fight normally." The firebender's voice held a tone of finality. "I'm going to have to go to her level, and I can't trust myself around you then."

Toph understood then. Azula's wobbling was the exact same as Zuko's before; both of the firebenders were being affected by the comet. They were both grappling for sanity, and quickly failing.

"Fine." Toph clenched her fists. "But I_ will_ punch you once this is all over." And with that she left, even though still reluctantly. She only hoped that Zuko didn't end up too far gone for them to reach.

_**To be continued…**_


	44. Hurt

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 44**

**Hurt**

"Sokka!" Aang immediately started running when he spotted the older boy sitting on a log serving as a bench. "Sokka!" He leaped over the log and landed in front of his friend. "Sokka!"

"What, what, what?" Sokka asked with a peeved glare at Aang as he pushed aside a map he had been looking over. "I'm busy."

"I know, you have to know the terrain and so on." Aang waved his hand, having heard this before on countless occasions ever since he had met the other. "But this is important. I think there's something wrong with Zuko."

Sokka met Aang's gaze steadily. "So you're saying something's wrong with Zuko besides the fact that he's a depressed firebender with a megalomaniac father and a freak of a sister?" The older male smirked, but Aang only glowered at him in response, making Sokka sigh in resignation. "Man, your sense of humour is bad today." The other watched Aang's face carefully. "Ah, I guess this is serious, then. What's wrong?"

"Zuko started acting really strange all of a sudden." Aang decided it was better he went right to the point.

Sokka frowned curiously. "Strange? Like how?"

Aang paused to lick his dry lips, his stress causing his body to feel like it was burning. "Like…a bit like Azula. He was saying how he'd kill for me. I don't want him to do that."

"What?" Sokka actually looked alarmed now. "What were you two even talking about?"

"That's the whole point, isn't it?" Aang waves his hands in his anxiousness. "I was trying to tell him I love him and he started going on about-"

"Love?" Sokka cut Aang off abruptly. "Aang, what exactly happened?"

Aang blinked at his friend, realizing that what had happened between him and Zuko was indeed just between him and Zuko. "Huh? Oh, right. Zuko and I…" Aang felt his cheeks burn. "Um, I just realized it, that I want to…and then Zuko said he wants that too…I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen. He just said that he feels _different_ and then came that comment about killing for me. I don't want to hear him say that, it hurts." The airbender watched his older friend hopefully, wishing desperately that the other would have a solution.

Sokka was silent for several moments, thinking carefully, and then looked up to Aang. "Aang, I think it's possible that Zuko said that _in order_ to hurt you."

"What does that mean?" Aang really wasn't following the other's reasoning at the moment.

"Zuko's weird, maybe he thought you'd reject him, and tried to push you away when you didn't." Sokka smiled. "Zuko's not a killer, Aang, even I can tell that."

"I…I guess you're right." Aang nodded his head. Saying something and doing something were two completely different things. "Okay, I'll talk to Zuko again, make him see sense."

That was when the two heard a voice calling their names. They both recognized the voice and panicked, because neither of them would ever expect to hear that one person sounding as frightened as she did right now. The two turned to the direction of the shout to see Toph running towards them as quickly as she could.

"Toph?" Aang queried as he rushed towards the girl to meet her partway. Sokka followed after him, calling: "Hey Toph, where's the fire?"

Toph came to a stop before them, taking one deep breath to steady herself. "Right over there!" She turned to point to the direction she came from. "Azula showed up! Zuko's fighting her right now but he's not completely right. I'm not sure he can win."

Aang and Sokka turned to the direction Toph pointed out, mere moments before a strike of blue lightning flashed in the distance.

"Oh no." Aang broke into a run. "Zuko!" He summoned forth his airbending, and left his friends far behind.

_**To be continued…**_

Author's Notes: Sokka has mad logic skills. Even though Zuko might act like this, under the circumstances Sokka's completely off.


	45. Madness We Welcome

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 45**

**Madness We Welcome**

"You're an idiot to do what Ozai tells you to, Azula!" Zuko drew his sister's attention to himself so that Toph could get away without having lighting blasted at her back. "You can't honestly think that he'll be satisfied or pleased with you even if you kill me!"

"I'm not doing this for father, Zuko." Azula grinned widely, her sloppily painted lips stretching across her face like a bloody wound. "This is just about you and me." The girl cackled. "And I will not stop for _anything_ until you're finally gone."

Zuko drew a deep breath. "Okay then." And with those two words he stopped his struggle to stay with a clear mind. He allowed the flame inside him to spread, feeling it all over. He was pure power now; he was pure _fire_.

The fire seemed to almost burst out of him when he punched the air to unleash an attack. A blast of fire, one unlike anything else he had ever released, barrelled forward and Azula dodged it with a sideways leap, sending a wave of blue fire at him with a spinning kick. Zuko lifted his arms and a wall of fire rose, Azula's flames mingling with his and becoming his to control. And he did control them, pushing his hands forward to send the flames towards his opponent like a rushing wave.

Zuko rushed forward under the cover of the yellow flames, aiming right to the middle, where he spotted Azula's hands a few moments later, the girl directing the flames to her sides, even though they clearly singed her sleeves judging from the small wasps of smoke.

Thrusting a flaming fist forward, Zuko aimed right for the other's face, making a solid impact with the girl's face even as he himself suffered a swipe of the other's hand, nails tearing fabric and flames burning skin. But Zuko's attack held more force and knocked his opponent back.

Zuko seized the opportunity to perform another attack and lit his hands into high-degree flames that looked like blades. He made a swipe at the other, who rolled backwards out of the way, continuing the momentum to create a spinning volley of fire that she sent at Zuko.

Zuko didn't feel the flames as anything more than warmth against his body, the desire to simply keep fighting numbing him to pain, and the boy rushed at the girl, who rose off the ground with a blue flare and slid away at high speed.

Fire burned around the two, remaining from their attacks and refusing to die out in the presence of the powerful benders. And they would burn brighter as Zuko dodged the two balls of fire Azula threw at him in fast succession, first leaping to the side and then ducking down. The boy supported himself on his arms and kicked out with his legs, sending himself into a flaming spin that created a rush of fire that was directed all around him.

Azula avoided the attack by leaping over it, again performing a spinning kick to send her new attack at Zuko. Taking advantage of having the girl in one place, Zuko leaped up and rushed straight at the attack, punching the flames away with his flaring arm. He continued to run forward, using his other hand to release an open-palmed attack that sent out a wider blast of fire than a first would.

It was the right choice. Azula could not dodge this attack from so close, and the flames caught her arm as she tried to avoid the blast. But the girl did not seem to feel the pain, much like Zuko, and unleashed her own close-range fire blast.

Zuko lifted his hands in a circling gesture, gathering his flames into a shield around him that took the brunt of Azula's attack. Then Zuko proceeded to push forward, allowing his entire body to be engulfed in flame, proceeding to perform a full body tackle at his sister, his flames transferring to the girl, actually harming the one who hadn't created them.

Zuko summoned more fire for himself and saw Azula mimic the action. He gathered the flames between his palms and thrust out in a move that mirrored his opponent's. The concentration of heat was intense, intense enough to cause an explosion that sent both siblings flying through the air and to the rocky ground.

Quickly struggling to his feet, Zuko panted from exertion as he watched the other firebender carefully, trying to guess her next attack. Perspiration had gathered on Azula's face, smearing her makeup, but even the splotches weren't as horrid to look at as the feral snarl on the girl's face, an expression Zuko was certain he mirrored and didn't care if he did.

Azula made no move to attack. Instead, the girl grinned lazily before laughing slowly. "Look at us, Zuko." The girl giggled. "We're exactly the same, brother! Inside and out!"

He should be attacking, Zuko's mind supplied to him. The fire inside him wanted to come out and burn everything to the ground, but Zuko hesitated. There _was_ a difference, one he was only now recalling. There was something inside him stronger than the instinct to destroy: the desire to _protect_.

"If there's anything between us that matches, it's our skills!" Zuko kept himself focused, directing his attention from the ache he was experiencing in his entire body now that the haze of adrenaline and instinct was fading. "We could keep going for a long time!"

"You're wrong!" Azula shot out a blast of fire, one larger than any before, and Zuko brought his fists down to create a powerful wave of flames to engulf the attack. "You're a pathetic weakling, Zuko!"

Steadying his body, Zuko laughed. "What edge could you possibly have on me now? Lightning? I haven't seen it yet and I thought that was your best skill!"

"You'd like it if I tried to shock you, wouldn't you?" Azula's face twisted into a grimace. "I bet you'd _love_ to use my own attack against me like that!"

"It doesn't really matter." Zuko rolled his shoulder, testing out the muscles. He met Azula's gaze steadily. "I can make my own lightning now." Not breaking eye contact, Zuko started the kata, and watched Azula's eyes widen in recognition.

He didn't use the technique to gain an advantage; there was actually a possibility that using it would _weaken_ his position, since Azula was a master of the move and therefore aware of all of its weaknesses. But he couldn't leave the technique unused, not in this battle. He had to show Azula that he _could_ do it, that he'd overcome the difference between their skills.

There was plenty of time for Azula to avoid the attack. Zuko knew this when he connected his fingers, raw power crackling around his hands. He thrust his hands forward and lightning struck to where Azula was standing a long distance away. For the next moments neither of them moved, and Zuko became aware of something.

Azula had no intention of dodging.

The snapping blue stream hit Azula, ran right through her, and scattered into several directions. A moment after that, or even during it, the girl collapsed.

Zuko ran as fast as he could with his burned and sore legs, falling down before reaching the girl and crawling the rest of the way. His mind was blurring again, as something strong within him made itself known. His fire burst out of him, making him its own, turning a brilliant white.

_**To be continued...**_


	46. White Fire

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 46**

**White Fire**

Aang rushed to the scene of the battle, heart hammering in his chest. He really was expecting to see Zuko mortally wounded, and his heart stopped when he saw Zuko's hunched form. But then he realized that the firebender was bent over another body, most likely Azula's. Aang would later on scold himself for being so glad to see someone hurt, but right at that moment he only registered his relief that _Zuko_ was still alive and well.

Well, perhaps not so well, Aang noted when he saw the white flames clinging to Zuko's body, flickering and cracking without the firebender paying any attention to the fact that he was on fire.

"Zuko!" Aang called out, and saw the other look over to him and stand up. "Zuko! Are you okay?" The firebender didn't answer, and Aang really worried about his state of mind. He started to make his way towards the prince, only to have Toph shout out after him: "Don't go near him, Aang! He's _on fire_! I can feel the heat all the way here!"

Aang hesitated for a moment, his concern for Zuko and self-preservation battling, and then he saw the most peculiar thing at the base of Zuko's feet. He smiled. "It's okay." With that, Aang made his way over to Zuko.

Keeping his gaze locked with Zuko's own, Aang reached out his hands towards Zuko. The firebender made to step back and Aang ran the last few steps to clamp his hands to Zuko's face. The action had to be quick to make sure he wasn't avoided, and Aang was certain Zuko's cheeks would have red handprints on them once they got this…outburst under control.

Yes, Aang thought as he cradled Zuko's face and met the other's gaze. The flames didn't burn. The airbender could feel the other's warmth, but there was something strange about it, something that was out of this world. Aang did not feel the blistering heat of flaring fire, but the gentle warmth of Zuko's soul and heart; the flames were Zuko's _feelings_ and Aang felt the other's dedication against his skin, the firebender's affection and, most of all, the overbearing love directed not only at him. This was the entirety Zuko's love being manifested, and it was hurting the prince even as those same feelings served only to bring Aang warmth.

Zuko was clearly crying; pearly droplets shimmered in his eyes, only to vanish into the fire the moment they made to slide down his cheeks. Aang didn't want to see this agony in the other and pulled the prince's face closer to plant his lips against Zuko's heated ones.

The kiss was clumsy, merely a brief press of their mouths together. The airbender pulled away from the contact almost instantly and searched Zuko's eyes desperately for a reaction other than rejection. And Aang saw the same desperation and need that was in the flames that licked at his hands a mere moment before dissipating. The white flames were finally retreating and complete awareness returned to Zuko's eyes.

"I love you," Aang murmured gently. "I love you so much."

"You really shouldn't." A dry laugh escaped Zuko, a broken sound only a step away from a sob. "I…I killed her…I caught up and now I'm the better firebender." A dry sob followed, and Aang realized that the other would have cried if his tears hadn't been dried up by his flames. "Daddy would be _so proud_."

"No, Zuko, no." Aang caressed the prince's cheeks with his thumbs. "Don't do this again." He didn't want Zuko to lose himself in his guilt again.

"She's alive!" Toph's sudden exclamation caused both of the boys to jump, having completely forgotten the girl was even there. They turned to look at the earthbender. "Only barely, though. I can't imagine her hanging on much longer."

Zuko pulled away from Aang's hold and rushed past him to Azula's prone form that Toph was watching over. Aang followed after the firebender, who sunk down to his knees and in a second his hands were aflame once more, the white fire somehow seeming gentle to Aang even know.

"Zuko?" Aang queried as he knelt down beside the older boy. "What are you doing?"

"There was an instinct." Zuko's voice was silent with contemplation. "I was trying to do something before…" The firebender slammed his fist down, right on Azula's chest, and the girl took a sudden gasp of breath. "Breathe." Zuko repeated the word a few times, Azula mouthing it with him, and Aang reconsidered his evaluation of the nature of Zuko's new flame. The white fire was actually _life_. Zuko was forcing life into Azula one inhale at a time and Aang glanced back to where he and Zuko had stood before, regarding the batch of grass he had seen grow beneath Zuko's feet. That sight had first given him the thought that Zuko's white fire wasn't dangerous. On the contrary, it seemed to be the only thing capable of saving a life.

_**To be continued...**_

Author's Notes: I was actually planning on jumping right into the aftermath and giving you Zuko's freakout afterward, as a sort of a flashback-chapter, but then I realized that it would be just too cruel, even for me.


	47. No Justice Is Meant for All

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 47**

**No Justice Is Meant for All**

It was Sokka who came to inform Katara of the situation, telling her about a fight between Zuko and Azula, and that Aang had gone to interfere. Katara's immediate reaction had been horror, while Suki expressed worry. Katara had only paused to grab her water pouch before following Sokka to the supposed scene of the battle with Suki hot on her heels.

A wide area of the ground was completely covered in a fine layer of ash, a clear sign that there had been some _enormous_ fires burning here only a short time ago. Katara's feet left footprints in the blackness as she followed Sokka to where Aang and Toph were flanking Zuko's sides, the firebender sitting on his knees, curled in on himself and his clothes in burned tatters. At first Katara feared that Zuko might have been severely wounded to be in such a defensive position, but then she realized that the prince was knelt over another body.

Zuko was cradling Azula's unmoving body against his own, one arm around the girl's back while his right hand rested on her chest, over her heart. While Suki stayed a short distance away to keep an eye out for any attackers, Katara carefully made her way over and Zuko's pleading golden gaze came to meet her blue one.

"Please." The word was whispered from two mouths at once, and Katara saw the palm pressed on Azula's chest flicker with white. "She _can't_ die." Zuko was breathing heavily, unsteadily, and Azula matched his rhythm without any difference.

"Katara! _Please!_" That last desperate whisper undid Katara and she drew out her water, kneeling down opposite of the boy and looking the barely-there princess over.

She recognized this type of clinging to life. This was the handiwork of that vicious lighting bending technique. It was ironic, how the one who had almost destroyed all of their hope with this attack was now withering away from its effect.

Katara wanted to let Azula die. She wanted it so much that she scared herself with the maliciousness in her heart. She was glad for the shaking almost-sob Zuko released, as it brought her attention to her reason for doing this; were Azula to die, Zuko would _break_. Katara never wanted to see any of her friends broken.

"Whatever it is you're doing, Zuko, don't stop." Katara's command was stern and Zuko nodded as a dry sob made him quiver along with the body he was _somehow_ keeping alive with sheer willpower.

The damage done was deep, so it took time and effort for Katara to reach it, but once the girl managed, she could feel the body slowly starting to heal. It wasn't near being liveable, so Katara would need Zuko to keep the body from giving out before she was finished.

Looking up to the firebender, Katara saw Sokka with his hand on Zuko's shoulder, expression such a degree of concern that Katara was surprised to see it on her normally-collected brother's face. But then she realized that this situation probably hit well home with her brother; Azula was Zuko's _younger sister_, as Katara was Sokka's. Feeling like she was able to concentrate even harder now, Katara turned her attention back to her 'patient'.

Once the lethal injuries were healed, Katara let out a sigh of relief and gave Zuko a small smile. "You can stop now." The girl gathered more water from her pouch. "She's going to live."

The sound Zuko released at the words was completely indescribable, but Katara recognized the expression of relief for what it was as Zuko slumped backwards into Aang and Toph's waiting arms. Katara looked back down at Azula, who was still unconscious, still in need of healing if she was to survive this, and continued with the healing.

"What did you _do_, Zuko?" Aang's voice held a hint of awe and Katara, curious as well, listened to the conversation with half an ear while she worked on healing the battered firebender lying on the ground.

"I didn't _mean to_." Zuko sounded so weak, so broken. "I swear I didn't mean to kill her."

"You heard Sweetness, Firecracker, she'll live." Toph's tone held a strange tone of tenderness that Katara had only heard when the earthbender was talking about her family. "You haven't killed anyone."

"And that's not what I meant, Zuko." Aang shifted and Katara glanced up to see the airbender pulling Zuko against him in a comforting sideways hug. "I was asking about the thing that kept her from dying. I've never even heard of something like that."

"Her flame of life was dying out." The statement was strange to Katara, but the way Zuko said it indicated that it was a rather commonplace analogue from Zuko's perspective. "I actually _saw_ it weaken and I thought that I might be able to…make it burn brighter. Like when bending regular fire."

Life bending? Was it really possible? Well, Katara supposed there were many things about bending that were a secret to most; the art was filled with long since forgotten secrets.

"I say it was the comet that made it possible," Toph commented insistently. "You said you could feel it."

Katara finally looked fully up from her work in time to see Zuko nod his head in agreement, the firebender not saying a word. It seemed that this new skill was possible with an unusual increase of power coupled with desperation. It was much like blood bending, only Katara could never imagine blood bending being useful in such a manner, in saving a life.

"I'm done," Katara announced as she stood up, dusting her knees off. "Let's carry her to camp."

Zuko pulled away from the two shorter benders supporting him to stand up, only to collapse on the ground immediately afterwards, hissing in pain. That was when Katara noticed what she had previously missed when Zuko had been sitting on his knees; the firebender's pants were torn, or rather burned, apart and his legs were covered in different degrees pf burns from a bit above his ankles all the way to halfway up his thighs.

"That's awful." Katara's heart ached at the damage, especially since she knew she had used up all of the water with her to heal Azula. "You should have said you were injured."

"It's nothing…in comparison…" Zuko stood up unsteadily and immediately Aang was by his side, arms around him in a mixture of a hug and support.

"Lean on me." A single statement and immediately Zuko relaxed against the airbender, seemingly completely comfortable with the close proximity. Katara drew her attention away from the two to look at the still unconscious Azula, who was being lifted between Sokka and Suki. The analysis Katara made of the situation was tiresome; it would be a difficult trip back to the camp.

_**To be continued...**_


	48. Different Kinds of Healing

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 48**

**Different Kinds of Healing**

Once the group had made it back to the camp, they handed Azula over to the Order members to be properly restrained. Katara went to retrieve some more water so that she could tend to Zuko's injuries while Aang got Zuko seated on a log, sitting down beside the firebender when the arm thrown across his shoulders for support refused to retreat. Aang didn't mind the closeness at all and pressed himself against his companion's side with a content smile.

When Katara came back, Zuko pulled his arm away from Aang, like he thought he wasn't allowed to touch Aang in someone else's presence. Aang refused to wallow in that thought and simply grabbed a hold of the retreating hand and pulled it to his lap, lacing their fingers together gently. Zuko didn't resist the gesture.

Katara started the healing wordlessly, the cold touch of water causing Zuko to jump slightly. But the firebender settled again afterwards, and in moments Katara had managed to heal his injuries. All the burns had faded away into mere pink splotches on Zuko's skin, ones that would heal on their own within days.

"There. That's all I can do." Katara straightened herself and watched Zuko in silence for a few moments. "Try to stay out of trouble for a while now." The girl clearly tried for a scolding tone, but was apparently too shaken up by the earlier events to reach her usual sternness, coming across as merely relieved.

"Katara." Zuko's hesitancy was present in both his tone and expression and the girl looked at him expectantly. "Could you ask Jun to keep an eye on Azula, just checking up on her a couple of times a day? I think having some responsibility might help her feel less bored."

The request was an odd one for Zuko, who rarely asked for help, especially from this certain waterbender. But then Aang saw just how exhausted Zuko was and understood that as much as Zuko would have preferred to talk to Jun himself, he probably lacked the energy to as much as rise up from his seat. That made Aang realize that he could only guess at the effort needed for bending life itself.

"Okay." Katara nodded her head once in agreement and was then gone, leaving Aang and Zuko by themselves. But the two didn't stay alone for a long time before Toph showed up to check on Zuko. Aang still felt envious of the easy manner between the girl and the prince, but he was also glad to see Zuko able to be so open with people other than him, even though at present the two boys were plagued by a certain awkwardness.

Soon enough Toph seemed to be satisfied and the discussion stopped as she nodded her head in an approving manner. Then the earthbender made to leave the two boys, only to hesitate.

"Firecracker." Toph's voice tone was suddenly reassuring, something that couldn't be a good thing. "I don't think you have to worry about Twinkle Toes' kissing, since I'm sure he will improve with practise."

Aang stared at the girl. "Excuse me?"

"That show you put on back there was less than mediocre." Toph was completely calm, like there was nothing strange on bringing up 'seeing' your friends kissing. "I suggest you two get to practising, since a performance like that won't do at your wedding." The girl's smirk was so wide it seemed to split her face. "It'll be the one spectacle no one in the _world_ would want to miss: the Marriage of the Avatar and the Fire Lord." That said, the girl finally wandered off.

The two benders sat in silence for a while. Then, finally, Zuko shifted and cleared his throat. "I wasn't expecting that. Sorry."

"How was that your fault?" Aang frowned at the other, whose cheeks flushed slightly.

"We've been talking. She knows how I…feel." Zuko tried to meet Aang's gaze but his embarrassment caused him to lower his eyes. "Toph really loves teasing me."

"She would have teased us anyway." Aang smiled encouragingly at his companion. "I probably shouldn't have kissed you like that without paying attention to our surroundings. I was really asking for it."

"I didn't mind." Aang would have thought Zuko was just trying to make him feel better if it weren't for the fact that Zuko's obvious shyness was a clear sign of sincerity. And so Aang took the invitation for what it was.

"Next time will be more private." Aang was spared the trouble of elaborating just why he didn't want to kiss Zuko again right there and then when Iroh arrived, expression a mixture of anxiety and relief. Next time, Aang swore to himself, his next kiss with Zuko would be much more romantic, like the firebender deserved.

_**To be continued...**_


	49. Fire's Legacy

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 49**

**Fire's Legacy**

This could only end in tragedy, of this Jeong Jeong was certain. That foolish nephew General Iroh was so fond of had disaster following him. Not only had the boy brought his demented sister into the camp, he had now even managed to use firebending in a completely unnatural way.

"I don't think anyone's been able to use White Fire in centuries." General Iroh's voice was awed as he spoke to Prince Zuko and the Avatar. Jeong Jeong really did not approve of the other man's attitude, even though he held outmost respect for the Grand Lotus. General Iroh was giving a very wrong impression of what had just occurred. There was _nothing_ admirable about producing White Fire.

"And there's a good reason for that!" Jeong Jeong cut in furiously, drawing the trio's attention to himself. "It's completely unnatural and inhuman!"

"It saved someone's life." The Avatar looked at him with a defiant look, one much stronger than the half-hearted petulant attempts during the short period of time he'd tried to teach the boy. And now the fool had found possibly the worst possible teacher in the Fire Lord's clearly unstable son.

"No, it altered someone's fate." Jeong Jeong stood over the sitting group. "White Fire is violent, twisted even!" Truly, firebending was a curse upon the world, and this grotesque abomination only served to prove it.

"I couldn't let her die!" Prince Zuko's voice wavered slightly, the boy still shaken up by his experience, but there was conviction in the tone. "Not when I could stop it." The boy had wrapped his arms around his midsection, like he was hurting.

"Just because you c_an_ do something, doesn't mean you _should_, boy." Jeong Jeong glowered at the firebender, who met his glare without hesitation.

"Master Jeong Jeong." The Avatar stood up and the man turned to the boy, startled by the pure ferocity in the boy's gaze. "I know you're a master firebender and that you have great wisdom, but you're just _wrong_ about this."

Jeong Jeong stared at the airbender, unable to believe that this child would speak to him in such a manner, that he would _dare_ to speak to him in such a manner.

"Firebending can cause a lot of destruction in the wrong hands, or sometimes it has nothing to do with the hands using it. But it can also bring life, warmth and light" The Avatar spoke with his voice full of reverence. "Your fire comes from within you, you control it with your breathing. You were very insistent on that while we were training. So it's not only White Fire that controls life, all firebending is created through life."

"Young Aang has a point there." General Iroh stood up and gave Jeong Jeong a bright smile. "Don't you agree?"

"You can believe what you want," Jeong Jeong spat, crossing his arms. "I will consider you all lucky if this ideology doesn't destroy you and everyone around you." And, with that, the man turned around and walked away.

Even though he did not agree with the Avatar's way of thinking, Jeong Jeong granted the boy this much: Aang was a strong enough kid to make his own decisions and live with them.

_**To be continued...**_

Author's Notes: I have nothing against Jeong Jeong, I think he's awesome. I just see him as a sort of conventional guy who's _really_ dedicated to his own ideals.


	50. Essence of Fire

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 50**

**Essence of Fire**

Jeong Jeong didn't stay away for long and soon came back, stopping to wait right out of hearing range of the group of three. He wished to talk to Iroh some more, but he didn't want to listen to the two children. The idealism the Avatar insisted on displaying made the man ache in longing for an innocence long since lost. Aang truly believed in his positive outlook, but Jeong Jeong's faith in his own views was just as strong.

Some time later Iroh did indeed leave the company of the Avatar and prince of the Fire Nation and, as if knowing that Jeong Jeong was there beforehand, walked right up to the other Master and queried politely: "Is there something still plaguing your mind?"

"What do you _really_ think about this?" Jeong Jeong blurted out, deciding to go straight to the point. "Do you truly trust that child's judgement?"

"Zuko has always been a gentle and sweet child," Iroh replied like that was all the answer needed. Perhaps a different approach would get a different reply.

"His sister is like fire, destructive and unpredictable." Jeong Jeong sighed deeply. "I don't like having her here, even if she's been restrained to prevent her from bending."

"Zuko is like that as well." Iroh's tone was gentle and Jeong Jeong stared at the man incredulously. Certainly such a contradiction, such an admission of fault should prompt a more worried response.

"Zuko is also like fire, he is warm and bright." The other man was smiling, and Jeong Jeong knew Iroh meant his words. "I've watched him during his critical time growing into an adult, and I know it is safe to say that Zuko will remain this way, a bright beacon of hope, for a long time yet."

Jeong Jeong regarded his companion for a few moments, wondering where the other had gotten such an impression all things considered. "We already have the Avatar to bring us hope."

"Yes." Iroh laughed heartily. "The Avatar brings hope to the entire world and is its greatest champion." Despite the mirthful tone, the amber eyes were serious. "To us as individuals, however, Zuko is something more important. He is the hope of the Fire Nation to stand proud once more _and_ he is the hope of firebending itself."

Jeong Jeong was silent for several moments, taking in this statement. "How do you think he did it?" He looked to the direction of the spot the two boys had by now vacated. "How did he manage to connect with that ability?"

"Zuko told me that he could feel the comet and that it gave him strength." Iroh seemed to see that Jeong Jeong was about to argue, as he continued immediately: "I believe him."

"Neither of us can feel it as anything more than a warmth inside us." Jeong Jeong couldn't believe that a mere boy had been able to draw power from the comet two days before the pinnacle of its influence.

Of course, there was always the possibility that Prince Zuko was _more_ than a 'mere boy'.

Looking over to his companion, Jeong Jeong saw Iroh give him a slow, secretive smile, like he knew exactly what he was thinking, and was congratulating him on finding the truth.

_**To be continued...**_


	51. From Me to You

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 51**

**From Me to You**

The decision to move Zuko away from the heart of the camp wasn't one Aang made merely for Zuko's sake, but for his own as well. While it was true Zuko needed peace and quiet after the day's events, Aang also wished to steal the firebender away for a while. Aang decided that a spot right outside of the range of the tents would suit his purposes and so he easily bended the two of them a stone bench, a gesture that earned an amused look from Zuko.

"Let's sit." Aang pulled on Zuko's arm and the prince seated himself beside the airbender.

"I take it you want to talk." Zuko's tone was resigned, and Aang felt a bit guilty over the fact that he couldn't, and wouldn't, prove the other wrong.

"You told me something earlier today." Aang was hesitant to bring the matter up; it had been that conversation that had led to him almost losing Zuko to the influence of the comet. "Do you remember what you said?" Zuko had seemed out of it halfway through his own confession, but before that he had seemed perfectly like himself.

Zuko shifted, hesitant. "I...I remember, at least some." The firebender's gaze lowered, and Aang knew that the prince knew more than just _some_ of what had happened. "I think I said some stupid things."

"Well, yeah, offering to die or kill for me is pretty stupid." Aang huffed before lifting Zuko's face with gentle hands on the other's face. "But it wasn't stupid to tell me you love me." Aang caressed the other's face with his thumbs. "Loving someone is a good thing; being loved is great." He smiled fondly at his companion. "Loving and being loved in return is something amazing."

Another movement from Zuko followed. It didn't seem to be a gesture of disagreement; Zuko's body language spoke of shame and Aang reached out to grasp one of the warm hands.

"Zuko." Aang kept his tone serious even though his voice was gentle. "I meant what I said before. I do…I feel the same." The airbender's lips curled into a smile and Zuko's cheeks reddened.

"Thank you." The hand in Aang's grasp squeezed back.

"You shouldn't thank me, Zuko." Aang clutched the prince's hand tightly even as he leaned forward to sink his free hand into Zuko's hair. "Love isn't a choice. It just happens."

Zuko still looked hesitant. "Aang, I…I just don't want you to end up regretting it. My feelings…I…I would always put you first, even when you didn't want me to."

"Is that what you meant with that speech of yours?" Aang suddenly felt relieved. This admission, while by itself not much, combined with Zuko's body language created a clear connection between this confession and the last.

"It's a bit creepy, right?" Zuko's eyes wandered away from Aang's face, and the airbender sighed.

"Zuko, unless you haven't noticed, everyone does that." Aang moved the hand in Zuko's hair to grasp the prince's chin, bringing the golden gaze to meet his own. "Everyone puts the ones they love first."

"You've seen the lengths I can go to." Zuko's voice was desperate. "Does that really not bother you?"

"Not really, no." Aang smiled widely at the startled look Zuko shot him. "You're not a killer, or a bad person."

Slowly, but without any more hesitation, Zuko's lips curled into a smile. "You're sweet." The prince leaned closer and Aang's hand slid from the other's chin to cradle the back of his head as soft lips caressed his forehead. Aang held his breath as Zuko pulled back enough to lean their foreheads together, gold and silver eyes dancing with affection.

"I trust you won't faint this time around?" Each syllable blew a puff of breath against Aang's lips, taunting the airbender with the closeness of the other. Aang's fist closed around black locks.

"I think I'd rather return the favour." The slight tremble of Aang's voice was caused by a mixture of nervousness and desire, but Zuko didn't react to it. The prince merely allowed Aang's hand to guide his head to a sideways tilt and Aang understood that the gesture wasn't as much about Zuko surrendering to Aang, but Zuko surrendering to his own feelings at long last. Satisfied with that Aang covered the minimal distance between their faces and pressed his lips to Zuko's own.

The last time Aang had kissed Zuko he had been more than slightly distracted by trying to pull Zuko back from whatever mental seclusion he had brought on himself. This time around Aang got to fully appreciate all the sensations he got from the prince. Zuko's lips were smooth, but not soft in the manner Aang would have expected a girl's to be, and they moved with a controlled insistence that only a male's would.

The hand holding onto Aang's pulled away, only to press the palm against Aang's own. Aang angled Zuko's head more to the side, deepening their connection, while he interlaced the fingers of their hands, joined in the small space left between them.

A slow moan rose from Zuko, vibrating against Aang's lips, and the airbender pulled back, worried that he might have done something wrong. But he only saw Zuko's red cheeks, the prince apparently embarrassed over his reaction. The firebender leaned close again, eyes locked with Aang's and lips barely brushing Aang's own.

"It's alright, Aang." Zuko's lips caressed Aang's sensitive skin with each movement. "I love you."

"I love you too." And laid a soft kiss to the tantalising lips of his companion and smiled with contentment. This was how a love confession was supposed to go.

_**To be continued…**_


	52. There is Some Power in Love

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 52**

**There is Some Power in Love**

By all appearances, Azula felt nothing but contempt and hatred towards her brother, with the only somewhat positive feeling being a touch of pity. Zuko had always been overly emotional, his feelings making him pathetic and foolish. Zuko was no threat to Azula, so he was safe to pity.

There had also been something Azula had never shown outward, a worry that stemmed from those emotions she always scolded Zuko for having. It was his feelings that made Zuko resilient and dedicated, so when the boy had snapped at Azula once, swearing that he'd one day become as great a bender as her, Azula had believed him. At the time she had laughed at him, thought that no matter how hard the boy worked he'd never be as good as her. But when night had fallen and she had lain in her bed in her dark room, a worry had started to take root in her mind, worry over the 'what if's.

Azula had trained tirelessly since that night, deciding that she would never allow Zuko to reach her. But that had been a shallow goal at best, to stay the least. What measure did she have for her skills? It had almost driven her mad to try and keep her advantage, while Zuko had watched her, learned the length of the distance between them and then started working on decreasing it.

Zuko had struck at their father, impressively enough to bruise the man's ego, and then vanished off to join the Avatar before Azula could find out just how strong her brother had become behind her back. That had been her topmost motive for following the prince, to find out just how much he had truly improved. She had almost caught him at Boiling Rock, only to be foiled by the two people she had never hesitated to keep at her back. Mai had been won over by Zuko; in a way, Zuko had beaten her then.

The brief skirmish at the airbender ruins was supposed to be their rematch, but it had been over before anything had been determined between them. So she had continued in pursuit.

It probably would have been better if she hadn't insisted on following Zuko, on finding out the truth. The moment she had seen Zuko perform the kata for lightning bending she had known that he would succeed. And that realization had left her _empty_. What was there left for her if the one thing she had feared for years had finally come to pass? What could she do when Zuko was every bit as good a firebender as she was?

Azula hadn't wanted to see what would follow. She hadn't wanted to see Zuko surpass her, moving on beyond her reach. The decision to simply let herself vanish had been an easy one to make. And so she had stayed in place when the lighting had struck towards her, allowing it to erase her from existence.

Only she hadn't been allowed to perish. She had already sunk into the darkness of non-existence when she had been jerked back by something so bright that it burned away the shadows of death. And then she had felt it. Completeness. Her missing half had been joined with her and she felt whole, for the first time in her life.

The light would have pulled her back forcefully, but Azula had actually allowed the pull. She hadn't wanted to resist something that would take her to her missing half, the half that she had been missing without ever realizing just what was the cause of her agony.

She had woken up without her missing half, her hands and feet bound in shackles of thick metal that spread from her wrists to her fingertips and from her ankles to her toes. Trying to bend them off would not have been wise, as the heated or, worse yet, exploding metal would render her limbs useless afterwards.

All in all her captors had done an excellent job of restraining her, Azula noted. There wasn't much, if anything she could do with her hands locked behind her back and ankles trapped under her body. This all made a guard rather useless and pointless, considering that all the way out here there would be no one who would actually consider freeing the imprisoned princess. That was the way things were when you lacked allies.

Despite the fact that it was pointless, Azula had still been given a guard. The girl had woken up in pain, a rare event, as no one before had been strong enough to injure her so much, and the first thing she had seen had been the woman sitting at the entrance of the tent she had been placed in.

The stranger was pale, like a member of the Fire Nation, but her eyes were dark, an Earth Kingdom tendency. Azula suspected the latter inheritance was more likely than the former one. Despite the strange coloring, the woman held a certain beauty to herself even in Azula's eyes. It was the charm of a fully grown woman, and the sight made Azula feel like the young girl she was, for the first time in a long while.

Neither of them had spoken, even though Azula knew that the woman had noticed her wake up. Azula hated the thought of relinquishing any more power by being the first to speak, but at the moment there wasn't much power for her to lose. In the end she decided to break the silence.

"What, no taunts?" Simply because she had to be the first to speak, didn't mean she had to be polite.

The woman shot her an uninterested look. "That's not why I was placed here." She smirked, and Azula noticed that she was almost as good at pulling off the expression as the princess was. "I suspect prince boy wanted me to keep those who _would_ taunt you away."

So Zuko had put the woman up for this? That meant Zuko had decided to spare her. But that thought was not completely correct. She could remember how she had been dying. Could it be that Zuko had not only spared her life, but saved it as well?

Azula scoffed. "That's exactly like my pathetic brother."

"Oh?" The strange woman actually seemed to be slightly interested by that statement. "I wonder why you feel the need to say that out loud…"

It was true that Azula rarely said anything without a reason. The reason for those previous words had been a bad one; it was her own weakness that had her speaking the thoughts that had been plaguing her mind for quite some time now. "Zuko is sentimental. He resembles our mother in that."

"Do you resent him for it?" It was such a strange question to ask, and yet somehow fitting. It seemed like this woman could guess how Azula thought. That, however, did not mean that the princess would answer.

The dark eyes gazed into Azula's amber ones sharply. "Do you resent him for loving you?" The full, painted lips curled into an ironic smile. "He can do great things with that power."

"The power of love is nothing but a load of rubbish," Azula snapped heatedly. "Zuko is a fool who lives inside a fantasy world where everyone can get along."

"Oh?" The woman was still smiling, but this time it was in humour, and the joke seemed to be on Azula. "Are you telling me your brother's feelings don't affect you?"

It was such a ridiculous claim. Certainly that was the woman's first mistake in her guesses on the contents of Azula's mind.

"I couldn't care less about his feelings."

The woman kept smiling, and Azula wondered when she had lost the ability to lie convincingly.

_**To be continued...**_


	53. No More Running

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 53**

**No More Running**

Zuko woke up the next morning feeling content and a wide smile spread on his lips as he squeezed the body in his grasp tighter. Aang fit perfectly against him, the airbender's head cradled in the crook of his neck while their arms held one another close. Zuko could not help but think a year or two into the future, when Aang would enter that awkward stage of adolescence when sharp elbows would always seem to be prodding anyone who tried to hug him. Despite the perfection of this moment in comparison to that vision of a possible future, Zuko was looking forward to what was to come, hoping that Aang would still be by his side when his body became awkward. No matter how many uncomfortable embraces were to follow, Zuko would never take this affection for granted.

"Are you going to get up or would you rather lie there the whole day?" Sokka's voice cut through the pleasant haze in Zuko's mind and the firebender's eyes snapped open as he shot a startled look at the Water Tribe boy kneeling behind Aang's back, meeting Zuko's gaze.

Cheeks flushing with embarrassment, Zuko started to disentangle his and Aang's bodies from another, finally managing to sit up and face their tent mate.

"Did something happen?" Zuko couldn't help but worry; Sokka seemed a bit anxious.

"You know how the Order promised to help us gather people for the counter-invasion?" Sokka was stalling and Zuko glared at the other, who sighed in resignation. "Some…old friends showed up too."

"Who?"

"Geez, stop with the death glare, it's creepy." Sokka turned his face away, the attempt at a joke doing nothing to dissipate the tension in the air. "It's that girl."

"What girl?"

"You know the one!" Sokka waved his hands and Zuko merely stared at him blankly. "The gloomy girl who sighs a lot."

"Mai?" Zuko's chest tightened. "Mai's here?"

Sokka nodded. "Along with her pink friend." The boy rubbed his head. "This is bad, isn't it?"

"It's not good, at least." Zuko threw the bedding off himself and made to reach for his boots. "I mean, I'm glad they're okay, but I was _not_ planning on dealing with this now." The firebender hurriedly pulled the boots on and marched to the tent flap. "Lead the way."

And so Sokka led the way through the camp. The sun was already high up and Zuko noticed that while he had been sleeping the morning away, the amount of people in the camp had increased exponentially. And soon Zuko laid eyes on a familiar pair of girls.

"Mai! Ty Lee!" Zuko called and lifted a hand. They turned their heads to him and Zuko saw Mai smile crookedly while Ty Lee beamed and waved her arms enthusiastically.

"I'll leave you to it, then," Sokka murmured to Zuko before scampering off, apparently still a bit uncomfortable around the two girls. Left alone, Zuko took a deep breath before covering the rest of the distance between them with long strides.

"Mai, Ty Lee," Zuko greeted again, looking at each girl in turn. "I thought you were captured."

"It helps to have the warden as an uncle." Mai's tone was dismissive, but Zuko doubted it had been _that_ simple for the two to escape.

"We heard that they were gathering some kind of a resistance." Ty Lee was chattering brightly and Zuko didn't mind listening for once. "I told Mai 'This is our way to find Zuko,' and here you are." She grinned brightly, grabbing one of Zuko's hands within her own.

Zuko was reminded of a time long ago, when his sister had tripped him in the hall and he'd scraped a knee. Mai had turned her face away from him to hide her worried expression from Azula, and Azula had giggled before turning away. Mai had followed hot on her heels but Ty Lee had stayed behind, giving Zuko a hand up before she winked and skipped off to follow her friends. Ty Lee had always been a gentle soul.

"It's good to see you." Zuko smiled sincerely. "I'm glad you're here."

"And your aura is positively _glowing_!" Ty Lee grinned disarmingly at him. "You look very, very happy."

"I am," Zuko answered and knew it was the truth. "I am very, very happy."

Ty Lee giggled and threw her arms around Zuko, a gesture he would have once spurned. But now Zuko wrapped his arms around the slim back and squeezed the girl tight against himself, laughing brightly in light of his new realization. He was very happy indeed.

1.

It was with stunned silence on her lips that Mai saw Zuko hug Ty Lee, heard the young man laugh as he held her close and felt the sudden change that had come over the person she loved the most in the world.

Then Zuko had released Ty Lee and had turned to Mai, lifting his arms to invite her into an embrace and smiling with beauty that was almost as heartbreaking as the thought of how Zuko had somehow _healed_ and Mai'd had nothing to do with it. She kept her thoughts away from her face, but she was unable to resist stepping closer, allowing Zuko's strong, warm arms to wrap around her body, pulling her against the prince.

Zuko had never held her like this before; Mai had never seen Zuko hold _anyone_ like this before. And yet, yet the arms held her the same way they had held Ty Lee mere moments earlier. The embrace was _exactly the same_.

"You're not mine anymore." Cold, emotionless, down to the point. It was nothing out of the ordinary for Mai even though her world was currently reeling off course. Zuko pulled back to give her a surprised, confused look.

"What?"

Stepping back from the other, retreating from the hug she didn't want anymore, Mai looked at the prince with accusation in her gaze. "You don't love me anymore."

"Mai…" Zuko sounded hurt. He didn't have a right to, not when he was the one hurting her like this. "Of course I do. That hasn't changed."

It made sense now; it made so much sense that Mai wanted to return to not knowing anything about it.

"Very well," Mai conceded, confessing to the folly in her previous assumption. "But, there is someone else, someone you love more than you do me."

Zuko was a terrible liar, the complete opposite of his sister. Zuko couldn't fool anyone with his words, but if he had tried, if he had tried to lie to her, Mai would have believed him without hesitation; in that moment she was that desperate. But the gaze meeting her own was steady and sincere, the gentlest blow ever laid on her.

"Yes."

The gentlest blow turned out to also be the most painful one.

_**To be continued...**_


	54. To Look But Not to Touch

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 54**

**To Look But Not to Touch**

Ty Lee felt torn. On one hand, she was truly happy to see Zuko again; she had always rather liked the broody prince. On the other hand, however, now Mai was hurt, and it was _because_ of them meeting Zuko. Expressing her happiness over finding Zuko had been easy, but then Zuko and Mai had…broken up… and suddenly Ty Lee felt like it was her duty to uphold some resemblance of normalcy for Mai's sake, but suddenly it was hard to keep up her usual cheer when it was something she had to do.

It seemed that the other two were also aware of the need for a change in mood, as they had both averted their gazes to the ground. Still, Ty Lee didn't think either of them would really do anything about the mood, and that's why she was so surprised when Zuko spoke out, even though his tone was hesitant.

"Azula is also here." There was an unspoken question in the statement, but it wasn't directed at Mai. Zuko's golden eyes were looking at Ty Lee.

Zuko knew Mai, as did Ty Lee. They both knew what Mai's response would have been, because they knew her personality. Mai was deliberately distant; each and every action she ever took was carefully measured, meaning nothing but what she claimed it to mean. She had settled her affairs with Azula; that much had been clear the moment Azula used past tense for their relationship.

'You should have feared me more,' was what Azula had said. Azula rarely made mistakes when she observed people so she understood the meaning of Mai's betrayal the moment Mai had spoken against her even though she hadn't seen it coming. Mai and Azula were both through with each other. Ty Lee, however, felt that she needed to have proper closure, that she wanted to explain even if Azula refused to listen or understand.

A nod was all Ty Lee managed in response, but it was all Zuko needed, and the firebender turned away with the clear intention of leading the way.

Mai followed the two of them for no other reason than to not be left alone on unfamiliar territory. At first Ty Lee was glad for the ease with which the two of them stuck together, but she soon came to regret it.

On the way, the three of them were intercepted by the Avatar. At the sight of the boy an easy smile came to Zuko's lips even as the firebender teased the other over sleeping in.

The reason Ty Lee was watching the Avatar so closely in the first place was simply because she had never really gotten the chance to look at the elusive airbender properly. The first thing she decided about the boy was that she really liked his smile and it seemed that Zuko did too, with the way the prince's smile brightened in face of it.

"Aang, these are Ty Lee and Mai." It should have been awkward for Zuko to say that, to introduce them with their history. Perhaps it would have been awkward before, but now the Avatar's, Aang's, presence seemed to bring out something in Zuko that was genuine. "Mai, Ty Lee, this is Aang."

Knowing how terrible Mai was in such situations, Ty Lee rushed forward to grasp Aang's hands between her own and beamed at the younger teen. "It's very nice to meet you. Properly this time."

"Yes," Aang agreed enthusiastically as he returned her smile. Their hands released each other when Aang turned to Zuko again. "Are you going somewhere in particular?"

"Yeah, we're going to see Azula." Zuko lifted his hand and Aang stepped closer so that the appendage brushed his arm. It was a gesture that had no other purpose than to _touch_ and that simple realization made way for another, much more complex, one.

"I'll leave you guys to it then." Aang looked rather uncomfortable with the idea of going to see Azula and Ty Lee didn't blame him in the slightest, considering what that princess had put him through.

"Actually, I think I'd rather stay here with…Aang." Mai's voice held a strange undertone and Ty Lee whirled around to look at her friend in alarm. The dark girl's eyes were focused on Aang. "We should get to know each other better."

"Sure." Aang sounded enthusiastic enough but a quick look at Zuko revealed that the prince was as suspicious as Ty Lee. Still, the firebender nodded his head in agreement. His hand brushed against Aang's back, a touch Ty Lee only noticed because of her angle, and then lifted to indicate for Ty Lee to follow after him.

"Are you sure we should leave them alone?" Ty Lee queried from Zuko while glancing behind them. "I think Mai figured out that-"

"No, I'm not sure." Zuko's response was stern. "But I think it's better this way." The firebender was silent for a few moments. "Aang has this…charm to him. Maybe a talk with him is just the thing Mai needs."

Ty Lee considered Zuko's words and then slowly her mind fell at ease. Maybe it was about time Mai actually faced something head on for once.

1.

Mai knew she was merely tormenting herself by directing her attention to Zuko's new love interest, but she also knew that she would agonize over the unknown factor that was the Avatar. She had no idea if she should allow Zuko to be swept away by the airbender like this.

"You look troubled." The Avatar's tone was gentle and even held a hint of worry. Mai could see why someone would start feeling at ease at the sound of it, but she was far too focused to allow herself to do the same.

"Zuko dated me before." Dated, it was such a silly word but it would suffice to this discussion here. She observed the Avatar carefully, and saw the grey eyes widen in surprise before his entire face except for his now flaming cheeks turned white. Then the boy averted his gaze and if Mai had held any doubts about her suspicions, they would have vanished with that obvious show of guilt. She allowed herself to smirk at the small victory of catching the Avatar off guard.

Her triumph was over soon, however, when suddenly the Avatar's expression smoothened and the gaze of his eyes turned into strong steel. There was no trace of that guilt she had briefly glimpsed when he spoke with conviction: "You have my sympathies, but I refuse to apologise for something I don't regret." The grey eyes softened and the boy smiled sadly. "I'm sorry you were hurt, but I'm not sorry to have reached Zuko."

"You plan to keep him, then?" Even though Mai knew that this new relationship ending wouldn't mean the return of Zuko to her, she still had to ask.

There was a brief flash of teeth as the Avatar's smile widened with naked happiness. "Of course. I love him."

Mai marvelled at how easily the Avatar could utter the words, how open he could be about his feelings. Maybe if she had told Zuko that more often, maybe if she had told him that _once_... A soft sigh slipped past her lips. She had been bested before she had even had the chance to compete.

"I suppose I'm…glad for that." She smiled slightly when the Avatar blinked at her in confusion. She wasn't about to elaborate, because certainly someone so familiar with love would understand its effect, the desire for nothing more than the happiness of that one person.

"Now I have to go make sure Ty Lee hasn't gotten herself into any trouble." And with that Mai turned away from the Avatar and followed the path she had seen Ty Lee and Zuko take previously.

Perhaps, she carefully mused to herself, perhaps the Avatar was an opponent she wouldn't mind losing to after the wound closed and started to heal.

2.

The name of the woman in charge of watching Azula was named Jun. Azula made sure to remember the name, as the woman seemed much more likely to respond to her if she used it. The princess was under no delusions over why this was so; Jun simply enjoyed the power of forcing Azula to do something, having clearly heard of the firebender's reputation, even if it was something as simple as forcing her to learn a name.

Jun wasn't very talkative, not really. Even though the woman was clearly interested in Azula, watching her face carefully during all of their interactions, she wasn't bursting with questions like many others would be. Trying to pick Azula apart slowly was, to her, simply something to pass the time with, and Azula resented her a bit for that. She was not just some minor amusement to pass time on.

When Jun told her that her brother had come to see her, it had been with that knowing smirk Azula had come to loathe so much within a shot amount of time. But Azula bit back any retort that might have been forthcoming, focusing instead on the new chance to be face to face with someone she understood, had understood. She now had questions she needed answered. She had to relearn Zuko's buttons to know where she could push to produce the result she wanted.

All of Azula's questions died on her lips when she finally laid eyes on her brother as the boy entered within her senses. She felt completeness again, and realized that it must have been Zuko she had felt earlier as well, when she had been slipping away.

This was her weakness. She could not lie about her spiritual opposite and other half, not after finally finding him so nearby. She wondered if Zuko felt their souls' connection as well, or if this new realization that took over her entire being existed only to her.

"How are you feeling?" It was a simple question, but simple questions had never had a place between them. Azula ignored it.

"What did you do to me?" That was a more complex query. It would suit them well.

"I kept your flame burning when I saw it fade."

To Azula, that was answer enough. Few people in this camp full of foreigners would grasp Zuko's words, none of the inferior cultures holding the philosophy of the existence of a flame of life within everything that was alive.

"Why are you here?" The second question belonged to her as well. She felt a thin ghost of control when Zuko actually responded.

"To see you." He answered so easily. _Why_ was such an answer easy for him to give? Why was Zuko so at ease with his sentimentality when Azula herself wanted to tear that aspect of her brother apart?

"There's someone else who wants to see you as well." Was that comfort she could hear in Zuko's voice? Who was this person that they made Zuko think she needed comfort? "I'll let them in." That said, Zuko distanced himself from her and left the tent. Azula was glad to see him go, even as she felt a small pang of loss. She told herself it was simply because the next person that entered made her actually _miss_ Zuko's company in comparison.

"Hi." Ty Lee's expression was sheepish, and Azula scoffed as she turned her face away from the sight. How could she look so…so much like always when nothing was the same anymore?

"Azula, please." She was begging now; she had always been quick to beg, so Azula rarely made her do it; there was nothing fun about no challenge.

"Why are you here?" She hoped she didn't sound half as broken as she suspected. Ty Lee had caught her off guard by appearing; she would need a few more moments to compose herself.

"I want to explain myself to you." Ty Lee sounded surer of herself now. Perhaps it was the lack of eye contact that gave her courage. "I didn't want you to hurt. I've spent enough time with you to grow fond of you." Ty Lee was smiling softly when Azula lifted her head to look at her. "Actually, I love you very much."

Azula couldn't remember the last time someone had said that to her. It was most likely because of this that she didn't say anything offensive in response. And as the princess stayed silent, Ty Lee continued: "I know you never liked dreamers much, you always told me as much, but I wished you'd miss me if I wasn't there." Ty Lee met Azula's gaze and now her expression finally held a tinge of hesitancy, a weakness. "Did you?"

The answer came easily. "No."

Ty Lee looked crushed and Azula wondered why she should care about that. She had told worse lies before; this lie was only proof that she could still lie to anyone else but Zuko and about anything else but Zuko. She looked at Ty Lee's sorrowful expression for a beat longer.

"Yes."

Now Ty Lee was smiling again, not the usual exuberant beam but a quiet, gentle smile. As she watched that expression be born, Azula could not help but muse that, for a dreamer, she certainly could look beautiful.

3.

When Zuko left Azula's tent to let Ty Lee have privacy with the princess, the boy came face to face with Mai. Neither of them spoke a word to the other. It was a simple matter of Mai not being there for Zuko; the girl was obviously waiting for Ty Lee.

Zuko had never chosen Aang over Mai. Zuko loved Aang more than anyone else and that included Mai, but Zuko hadn't as much as thought about there possibly being a choice to make between the two. Zuko wondered if making the choice would do something about this strange stasis, this lack of closure.

Immediately afterwards Zuko wondered why he even should _need_ to make a choice in the first place. There was no decent reason, and the time for such things was long past anyway.

Chancing a look into Mai's hazy eyes, Zuko truly felt the distance that was between them now, and now he was thinking about that barrier, unsure if it was a new development or if it had always been there.

There had never been any true companionship between Zuko, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee. The four of them interacted by a set of specific rules. It was unnatural, but necessary for keeping the façade of camaraderie going. They needed an illusion of a working relationship in order to as much as stand each other's presence in a room.

One rule dominated over all the rest. The most important rule of all was: 'look but don't touch.'

There was one occasion the rule had been broken. They had stopped looking at each other and had instead tried to touch. They had been truthful to each other, digging their fingers into bruises that would never fade, into wounds that had festered instead of healing.

Zuko knew why none of them had truly learned anything from what had happened ob Ember Island. They couldn't learn, because they wouldn't learn. They didn't _want_ to develop a true bond; it could only be painful for them.

And yet, despite all this avoidance towards hurt, Zuko had still ached through it all and afterwards. The dull ache of loving all three of those girls he could look at but never truly touch. He couldn't let his love reach out and touch the hearts of those who had been so close but still just beyond his reach.

Together, Zuko and Mai had attempted to reach out and touch each other. Mai's affection and care had been evident in each kiss, each press of side against side, each awkward and clumsy attempt at comfort. Mai had been more loving than ever before, and yet Zuko had always, constantly held back.

Zuko was well aware that he had an intense personality. He hated with his all, he loved with his all and he could do both at the same time, towards the same person even. Mai wasn't the kind of person to be loved the way Zuko loved.

A chuckle escaped Zuko and the firebender shook his head slowly. When he looked back at Mai the girl was giving him that deadpan stare that prompted an answer.

"I'm so messed up." Zuko couldn't help but laugh again, thinking about a cool and dark sanctuary and a boy with dark grey eyes making the same comment.

Mai didn't seem to share his humour as she merely sighed and then murmured: "You _would_ find that amusing."

Just then a small twitch pulled at Mai's lips, the beginnings of a smile that was either amused or affectionate. Did it really matter which? Zuko felt something akin to calm in the atmosphere and decided that it didn't; the result was what mattered.

Author's Notes: I have no idea where those hints of Ty Lee/Azula came from. I certainly wasn't planning it when I started… Anyway, this is probably the longest chapter yet, and the length is one of the reasons this thing took forever and a day to write.


	55. We Could Die Tomorrow

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 55**

**We Could Die Tomorrow**

It was early evening when Aang slipped into the tent he shared with Zuko and Sokka. He noticed that Zuko was the only one present and took a calming breath.

"You know, Sokka's going to be spending the night with Suki," the airbender spoke while hoping that his tone didn't betray any of his nervousness.

The look on Zuko's face was completely deadpan. "That's not really something he should be going around telling people, but I suppose it's somewhat considerate that he let us know."

"So we're going to be alone tonight." Aang decided that he should probably try to give more hints.

Zuko nodded his head in a manner that suggested he was agreeing with something. "It'll be nice to get a break from the snoring."

Aang let out a sigh. He would have to be more forward with Zuko, wouldn't he?

"Is something the matter?" Zuko queried in a curious tone. So apparently Zuko could easily notice when Aang's mood worsened but not when Aang was making a pass at him? Typical.

Directing a serious look at Zuko, Aang spoke slowly: "We could die tomorrow."

Zuko's expression turned sour. "Don't joke about that."

"It's not a joke," Aang insisted. "I just…I just want to…to be with you…just in case, you know..."

"I'll be with you until the end Aang." Zuko was smiling gently, reassuringly. "I'll be with you as long as I can."

Aang shook his head. "That's not what I meant." The airbender reached out to grasp Zuko's face between his hands and leaned forward to kiss the other on the lips. Aang then pulled back to look Zuko in the eye. "I meant like that."

The shade of red that had suddenly taken over Zuko's face was darker than Aang had ever seen before on the other, and for a moment he honestly thought the firebender would refuse him. But when the answer came, it was only a very quiet: "Alright."

"Alright?" Aang had to check to make sure he'd heard right and Zuko nodded his head in affirmation as he stepped to stand right in front of Aang before whispering: "You set the pace."

The next kiss was initiated by them both as arms rose to form a tight embrace shared between the pair. Aang pressed himself against Zuko until he was certain he couldn't be any closer, and the possessive grasp of Zuko's hands against his back only encouraged him.

"Oh jeeze." Aang jumped at the sudden drawn out groan and whirled around to face the tent entrance, where Sokka was standing looking extremely uncomfortable. "Now _that's_ not something I actually wanted to walk in on."

Aang wrung his hands together nervously. Sokka had known how he felt about Zuko, but it was true that hearing and seeing something were two completely different things and Aang wondered how he could make this somehow less awkward for them all. "Sokka…"

It didn't matter that Aang didn't have any statement prepared, as Zuko actually spoke out: "I bet you do many similar things with your girlfriend."

"I know!" Sokka's voice rose desperately, but not angrily. "But neither of you two is a girl!" The teen waved his hand at the two of them, face an embarrassed scarlet. "Aren't you weirded out by that?"

A quick glance at the prince beside him was all Aang needed to form his answer. "Not particularly." The airbender shrugged. "Zuko is Zuko."

Zuko gave Sokka a slightly teasing smirk. "Sounds like you're the only one with a problem here, Sokka."

"Oh, no!" Sokka lifted his hands in a surrendering gesture. "I'm completely fine with this! No problem!" Silence followed.

There was a sigh from Zuko as the firebender gave Sokka an exasperated look before asking: "Did you need anything in particular or did you just barge in here for the fun of it?"

"Actually, I was going to retrieve some maps but I can do one night without them." Sokka started inching back towards the tent doorway as he spoke. "So I'll just be going now and you two carry on." The teen grimaced. "Actually, I'd rather you _didn't_ carry on, but it's your own business who you want to be with." At that point Sokka paused to actually consider what he was saying and sighed in a defeated manner. "I'll just shut up now."

"Good night Sokka," Aang offered good-naturedly.

Sokka nodded, though his expression was still a bit troubled. "Yeah, night guys."

There was a long silence after Sokka departed and Aang shifted his nervous eyes to meet Zuko's own even ones.

"So, uhm, what now?" the airbender queried and Zuko's lips quirked upwards in amusement.

"You tell me." Zuko tapped a finger on Aang's chin for emphasis. "I already said we were going at your pace."

"Right." Aang nodded and bit his lip as he watched Zuko for a moment, his gaze trailing down the other's chin and neck to the top of his shirt. That really wouldn't do, the airbender decided as he looked up to the prince's face again with new determination. "I want to see you." He lifted his hand and brushed his fingers against the folds of Zuko's shirt, but pulled his hand back again, unsure if he would dare move the clothing by himself.

Silver eyes met gold and after a moment Zuko nodded his consent. "Alright." The firebender's hands went to the sash wrapped around his waist and Aang took a couple of steps back, giving the other room. The knot slid open easily and Zuko pulled the belt off with a slick movement that seemed almost obscene. Then the pale hands lifted to the outer shirt and pushed it off of broad shoulders, dropping the red fabric into a half circle around his ankles.

When Zuko started to lift his undershirt over his head, Aang's gaze dropped down and the airbender started fumbling with his own belt, his nervous fingers shaking and managing to only make the knot tighten. A couple of scoffs and tugs later the knot was finally open and Aang pulled his belt off.

There was a thump of leather against ground and Aang jumped at the sound, his eyes falling on Zuko's boots, thrown carelessly to the side. Aang looked up to the other to see Zuko giving him an assessing look that made Aang feel like he was the one wearing only his pants instead of the prince.

Zuko then lifted a hand and beckoned Aang over with a quirked finger and Aang slowly started to move closer to the prince, keeping his eyes focused on the other's encouraging smile. He was cut off in the middle, however, when Zuko covered the remaining distance between them and caught his lips in a quick kiss.

"Ah?" Aang blinked at Zuko in surprise. "What was that for?" Instead of a response Aang received another kiss from Zuko, a longer and slower one this time and afterwards Zuko looked Aang in the eye and asked a question of his own: "Aang, why are we doing this?"

Pausing in confusion, Aang wondered about the question for a moment. Was Zuko against this after all? A worry began to nag at him even as Zuko's smile never faltered. Still, it seemed that Zuko noticed his mood, as he brought his hand under Aang's chin. "Isn't it to get closer?" Zuko's smile widened and Aang felt his cheeks redden. "So this distance is pointless."

"G-got it." Aang nodded his head and then reached out to grasp the back of Zuko's head. He was sure that if only Zuko were to kiss him some more he could relax, and so he pulled Zuko in and pressed their mouths together gently.

They kissed slowly and Aang savored each caress of Zuko's lips against his own even as he felt Zuko's hands pushing back the layers of his clothes, over his shoulder and down his arm and chest. Their kiss broke and Zuko leaned down to give an open-mouthed kiss to Aang's shoulder while Aang panted heavily, trying to regain his breath. Zuko pulled away from Aang, taking Aang's top with him and he laid the article of clothing on top of his own shirts. Then the firebender grasped Aang's hand and led the shorter boy to the bedding, only to pause in an indecisive manner.

It was Aang who made the next move from that point on, placing his hands on Zuko's shoulders and pushing the prince down to sit on the bedding. The airbender then straddled the other's lap before proceeding to continue kissing the firender. Zuko's returned the kiss with enthusiasm and his hands lifted to press against Aang's back, warm and gentle.

As the number of kisses increased, their embrace grew more and more passionate, impatient hands roaming across naked skin in a quest to memorise every inch of one another. The couple fell sideways onto the soft surface below and Aang gasped for breath when the warmth of Zuko's hands went low, between his legs. When Zuko made a move to retreat afterwards, Aang expressed his consent in a manner that he was certain Zuko would understand as he started to tug at the firebender's pants.

The last articles of clothing were stripped away, the fabric sticking to damp skin and complicating the removal somewhat. Aang captured Zuko's lips in a yet another kiss as their bare bodies pressed together.

The body pressed against Aang's own so intimately was so warm it felt feverish and Aang panted as Zuko's coarse hands touched him all over, the touch always tender even as the hands fumbled. That small bit of imperfection encouraged Aang to caress Zuko back, returning each pleasurable press and stroke with one of his own.

Lips met again and again, the kisses growing more desperate as the touching grew more frantic. Gasps and pants turned into moans and groans and finally escalated into a single unintelligible exclamation that made the ground shatter and revealed the path to oblivion.

_**To be continued…**_

Author's Notes: Wow, once again my chapter has managed to completely surprise me. I had some issues to overcome when it came to writing this, ones I won't be repeating here as they belong to a different fandom entirely. Also, this is probably the most attention I've ever paid to undressing _ever_. And of course Zuko would know how to take clothes off sensually, the manstripper.


	56. Beginning of the End

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 56**

**Beginning of the End**

When Zuko woke up the following morning, Aang was gone.

Zuko hadn't been terribly concerned with waking up alone and had simply assumed that Aang was feeling skittish over the approaching big battle and was working off his nerves somewhere. It was only after the third person, an embarrassedly blushing Sokka, came up to him to ask when he'd last seen Aang that Zuko felt dread.

That was when the search had started, a search that in the end proved fruitless. There had been no sign of Aang in the entire camp since the previous night. The airbender seemed to have completely vanished without a trace.

"So, what next?" Sokka questioned when what they referred to as Aang's inner circle had gathered after going around the camp asking around for Aang uselessly.

"Why are you asking me?" Zuko asked in exasperation. "You're always the one with the plan."

"Well yeah, but you're the one this fight is the most about after Aang." When Sokka said that, there was a shift from Katara. Surprisingly enough a glance in the girl's direction revealed an agreeing expression on her face.

"I see…" Zuko couldn't just push aside everyone's faith in him, no matter how misplaced he might have felt it to be. And as he gave the matter some thought, he realized what decision Aang would have wanted him to make.

"Very well." The firebender faced his friends' expectant faces. "We'll proceed according to Sokka's plan. I'll give you the full details later." Before that he had to give an important farewell.

1.

Something was up. Azula could hear the commotion outside of the tent and realized that everyone was preparing to move out. Her usual guard, Jun, had told her that Azula would be left behind at the camp with a few other people. The most surprising thing about this had been the knowledge that Ty Lee would be staying behind with her. Even though Ty Lee's stay was somewhat expected in light of the latest revelation, Azula wondered why the other would, for all purposes, seek out her company.

Azula would never reveal the confusion that turn of events had created in her; she was vulnerable enough as it was. The confusion was easy enough to hide underneath royal arrogance and her generally offending personality. And when Zuko entered her tent, Azula found the perfect target to unleash her emotions at.

The princess glared up at the other firebender. "Answer me this, brother. Why did you bother saving me?"

The answer came easily. "Because, I'm not a killer, no matter how hard Ozai tried to make me into one." Zuko's expression was hard, impenetrable. "Because we're two halves of a whole; together we're what firebending is all about." The glare slid away, not broken but fluidly altered in a manner that told Azula that both of these expressions were Zuko's true face, both the righteous glower and this soft and tender gaze. "And still…even more so…because I love you." With those words Zuko knelt down and buried his hands in Azula's hair before reaching out to place a gentle kiss on the girl's forehead, and at that gesture Azula realized that Zuko had come to say goodbye.

Azula remembered that Zuko had always been like this, trying hard to be gentle and strong at the same time. She also remembered wanting to break him, because he was so good at it. She wanted him to be miserable. She had almost succeeded, but now Zuko seemed to glow with a light that calmed the storm within her.

She didn't want that light to go out, not really.

"The Turtle Nook." Azula forced her voice to stay steady when Zuko gave her a questioning look. "You're planning on intercepting the Fire Nation fleet. That's where they're lining up: at Turtle Nook."

"W-why are you telling me this?" Zuko sounded so lost and Azula also felt hesitant.

"I…I thought it would be interesting, seeing if you guys can play hero." Azula laughed, the sound hollow even to her own ears, and that told her better than anything that she had been broken, at least somewhat.

Zuko's lips pressed between her brows, and Azula tried to stifle the soft sigh the action prompted from her. Then the boy pulled back and their eyes met and they held each other's gaze for a moment or two.

"Thank you." No one had ever spoken those words to Azula, at least not so sincerely, and the girl felt like her chest was being torn open when Zuko stood up and turned to walk away.

She had watched her mother's back like this many times before, and the same desperation was present this time as well when the retreating form broke her heart just a little bit more. She wanted Zuko to stay with her, but she knew he couldn't; the world needed its hero and Azula had always been second to the world, both in her father's mind as well as her brother's.

2.

Zuko was surprisingly good at organizing people, Sokka noted when they went through the battle plan with everyone. The plan to intercept the Fire Nation fleet was much more plausible now that Zuko had somehow managed to get Azula to tell them where exactly the fleet would be taking formation at. Everything seemed perfect, even while Sokka was a bit hesitant about taking Mai and Jun along as part of the head force. But the teen could handle that. What caused problems was the fact that Aang was still missing.

"Katara and I will be in charge of separating the Fire Lord from his forces," Zuko continued, as if no one would notice the Avatar's absence if it simply seemed that all accounts were covered.

"And what about our Avatar?" The dreaded question came from Jun. "What will he be doing?"

"Aang needs to prepare for the battle in private." Zuko's reply came with certainty and Sokka immediately began to wonder when and _how_ Zuko had contacted Aang without anyone's knowledge. "He will be joining us once we have isolated the Fire Lord."

There were no more questions after that, only Jun's comment about how she was looking forward to busting some skulls while Mai commented that it would be a nice break from the boredom of being locked up in prison, no matter how brief her visit there had been.

Sokka waited until he and Zuko were alone before voicing his curiosity. "So you and Aang agreed that he'd catch up with us?" He wanted to know the secret to how Zuko had gotten this new information.

There was a brief pause as Zuko seemed to consider his response. "No." The firebender gave a humourless smile. "I have no idea where Aang is or what he's doing."

Anxiousness pooled in Sokka's stomach and the teen shifted his weight nervously. "Then how can you be sure that he'll show up?"

Zuko's golden eyes met Sokka's blue ones unflinchingly, steadily. "This is Aang, he'll show." It wasn't a lie; Zuko simply believed his words enough to _make_ them the truth to himself. "He won't let himself miss it."

_**To be continued… **_


	57. Red And Blue

Author's Notes: Sorry about the delay in updating. I kind of stopped writing period and now it's been really hard to get back at it. Not to mention I was forced to cut what was supposed to be the new chapter in two, since I'm still having problems with the next part, with it being another action sequence and all.

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 57**

**Red And Blue**

Katara actually approved of the plan her brother had put together, if it only wasn't for one part. The waterbender really didn't like the idea of them letting the Fire Lord's balloon take off while their small attack force made sure the rest stayed on the ground.

"I really don't like this," Katara spoke out loud to Zuko, who was keeping a careful eye on the horizon. "How are we supposed to get the war balloon down after it's taken off? What if we can't stop it afterwards?"

"That won't be a problem," Zuko answered in a deadpan tone, like the matter had already been dealt with. "What we really should worry about is making sure that the Fire Lord really is separated from all sorts of support." There was a slight twitch in Zuko's calm mask and Katara turned her head to see what had to be their target in the distance.

"Can we really handle him long enough for Aang to get here?" Katara asked quietly, half hoping that Zuko wouldn't hear the question.

"I can probably keep him talking for most of the time," Zuko granted and turned his golden eyes to Katara's blue ones in a steady look. "But you can't be present or he'll certainly target you."

"What does that mean?" Katara felt anger burning in her stomach. "I'm just supposed to _hide_ or something?"

Zuko scoffed, the sound almost like a snort. "Never." The firebender gave her a quirky smile, one that was completely him. "I'll be dumping the balloon into the ocean, your job is to make sure no unnecessary lives are lost and that no one interferes. You'll have more than enough water to work with at the shore and you'll also be far enough for my…for the Fire Lord not to pay you any notice."

Katara realized that her expression must have betrayed her feelings and thoughts, both filled with outrage, because Zuko's smile turned sheepish and even somewhat apologetic.

"I wanted to tell you before we took off, but Sokka said you'd just focus on changing my mind too much to take this mission seriously enough if we gave you time to prepare any arguments."

She didn't want to admit to her brother really knowing her well to prepare like that and only huffed in a put-on manner. "Fine, I'll make my way to the beach when the balloon starts falling." Katara gave Zuko a meaningful look. "Which you still haven't told me how you're going to do, by the way."

"You'll see it any moment now," Zuko said, his posture stiffening when he directed his attention back to the war balloon, which was near enough for them to make out its shapes and forms easily. "You might want to look away."

"Don't you worry about me." Katara smirked confidently at her companion. She didn't understand why Zuko said that to her, but she could take care of herself just fine.

The air started the crackle as Zuko performed the flowing, calm kata. It has always amazed Katara how the most uncontrolled form of firebending could be brought out by something that looked like a morning exercise.

Zuko brought his hands up, fingers pointing up towards the war balloon, and in the blue light emitted from his hands, Katara was struck by what she could see.

There was _insanity_ in that gaze, even though the firebender still stayed focused. Katara had seen that same look before, the almost exact same facial features twisted into a demented smile. Katara had a new understanding of that expression; firebenders held the essence of their bending inside and that made them feel the depth of their power within their own bodies. The girl could only begin to imagine how much energy Zuko held inside him due to the comet.

However, even though she had all the facts, Katara still could not face the reality and had to tear her eyes away from her friend's face, to the dark sky above. It was right on time to witness the release of energy, as the blood red curtain covering all of the sky was sliced open by a strike of electric blue.

"Go!" Zuko's voice rose suddenly and Katara jumped, realizing that she must have missed a similar command moments earlier. There was someone heading towards them from where the balloon was slowly descending. Katara took off as quickly as she could, only a moment later realizing that she had forgotten to tell Zuko to take care of himself.

_**To be continued… **_


	58. We Are Strangers to Each Other

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 58**

**We Are Strangers to Each Other**

He was coming. Zuko recognized the burst of flames Ozai used to propel himself away from the falling airship. It was the same technique Zuko had seen Azula use. He knew how it worked, so he knew that the angle of the movement was never random, it was always intended. Zuko knew Ozai had spotted him from simply the fact that the man was headed straight at him.

Taking a deep breath, Zuko steadied his stance. He had told Katara that he could keep Ozai talking; this hadn't been exactly accurate. Zuko knew he would try to postpone any actual fighting but he also knew that Ozai was more likely to simply attack him with minimum words exchanged, especially if the Fire Lord were to realize that Zuko was stalling.

The beach Katara had left for was mostly out of sight in the forest of tall stone pillars. There were many landing points to choose from and Ozai finally dropped on top of a narrow pillar several meters away. Firebending was best done at a distance. Apparently Ozai was about to face him like a master bender. Perhaps the man realized that he must have beaten Azula to still be standing.

"I must confess I wasn't expecting to see you," Ozai drawled smugly. "For the first time in your life you've exceeded my expectations."

Zuko couldn't hold back a scoff. "I don't _care_ about your expectations anymore, Ozai." Zuko glared at the man. "I know you don't care but I'll tell you this anyway; Azula is still alive. I didn't kill her."

"Hmm, pity." Ozai's tone didn't change in the slightest. "If you had I'd have thought there was hope for you yet." The man stayed silent for a moment before continuing: "And where is the Avatar? I thought for sure we had a battle to decide the fate of the world scheduled." Ozai's lips curled into a sneer. "Or did he run away again? He's apparently good at that."

"I think you'll grow to regret your hurry to face him, Ozai," Zuko snarled. "But if you choose to cause trouble before that point, I _will_ put you down."

Danger lurked in Ozai's golden eyes as he looked Zuko over, most likely trying to determine how big of a threat the boy was. "You're really willing to fight me? Even when your precious Avatar seems to have abandoned you?"

For his entire life Zuko had been forced to listen to taunts from various sources and it wasn't long ago that they'd still had an effect on him. But now he was at peace and he spoke calmly: "I'd fight you if it meant my precious Avatar didn't have to."

Finally Ozai's smirk faltered as genuine anger snuck into the man's expression. "I'll strike you and your insolence down."

Ozai was itching for a fight; Zuko had noticed this soon after the man's arrival. He took one unnoticeable steadying breath and spoke: "Try it."

The attack came even before Zuko was completely done speaking, and Zuko barely avoided the barrage of fire that was launched at him by dropping down the side of the stone pillar. Zuko clung to the rough wall with his left hand and bended his knees against the pillar. He used the support to launch himself to the nearest other pillar when Ozai used his firebending to reach the pillar Zuko had been standing on top of previously. The Fire Lord would keep following to get a better angle at the teen.

Firebending duels, when fought between masters of the art, were fought at a distance. Powerful bending could injure the benders themselves if they weren't careful. Room to work while keeping your opponent in your sights: that was the basis of fighting fire with fire. That was also the strategy Ozai seemed to be using.

Zuko had scaled more challenging obstacles than these pillars and kicked off from his current perch to a lower pillar, the previous rock he'd been standing on now serving to hide him from Ozai's view.

The Fire Lord was coming after him, and Zuko sprinted off as soon as he heard the roar of the bending Ozai used to cover the distance between the pillars. A jump, a leap and a roll later Zuko had tucked himself into a crack between two pillars, completely hidden from view. He knew exactly where Ozai was moving despite the fact that he had limited visibility from his hiding place, the sound and light of the bended fire were dead giveaways.

The glow of flames was drawing closer and the slight roar of fire was also growing in volume. Zuko knew that his own movements were practically soundless to Ozai while the man kept using firebending to move around the pillars. The teen waited until Ozai was only a couple of metres away before abandoning his hiding place and leaping at his opponent.

He angled his attack at Ozai's back, using the combined force of his jump and body weight to slam the man against the surface of the pillar Ozai had been hovering next to. The older bender released a pained sound as the flames he was using to keep himself afloat faded away. It was a clear sign that the man had not been expecting a physical attack like this. In an actual Agni Kai it would have been an illegal move but here, in a life and death situation that had nothing to do with protocol and everything to do with _winning_, whatever it took, Zuko would use every trick and technique he knew.

There was an increase in heat when Ozai worked his bending to keep himself afloat. Zuko wrapped his right arm around the man's neck while he used his left hand to push Ozai's face into the stone, trying to keep him off balance and unable to retaliate.

Ozai had never put much value on martial arts himself, but he had insisted on his children learning it simply for the sake of discipline. Despite the advantage he knew he had in skill, Zuko was aware that he could only hope he'd managed to injure the man with his attack. He couldn't stick close to a firebender who could change the touch of his hand to that of an iron freshly out of a furnace with the flick of a wrist.

Zuko knew he had to recover the distance between the two of them as quickly as possible. He pushed his foot into the small of Ozai's back while bending his knees for a new pounce, which turned out the right choice when Ozai grunted in pain at being used as a spring board while Zuko leaped over to another pillar and swung himself behind it before starting to slide to ground level. A moment later he heard Ozai follow.

It would be hard to win like this; Zuko knew that but he still couldn't bring himself to use lethal force against his own father. So far he didn't think he'd managed to cause Ozai more than some uncomfortable bruises and to anger the man. The latter assumption became clear when a roar of anger preceded another burst of fire shot in his direction, which Zuko avoided by ducking into the thicket of stone pillars. Zuko couldn't risk attempting to disperse the attack; the presence of the Comet increased the power of generating fire, doing the opposite to any attempts to control or subside it.

Aang still wasn't there, but Zuko was doing his best not to think about that. He didn't want to think about how, if he didn't know Aang any better, he should be worried if Aang was even planning on coming. No, Zuko knew Aang better than that, but that contained its own pitfall.

What was keeping Aang? Aang blamed himself for every battle that took place in his absence so much that the Avatar felt like he had to take responsibility for everything himself. So what could possibly keep Aang for being here right now? No, Zuko really didn't want to think about those things, because the worry could make him freeze up.

Zuko rushed out to the open to throw a wave of fire at his opponent, only for Ozai to avoid the attack by propelling himself into the air. A blast of fire was shot in Zuko's direction, one the youth overpowered with an attack of his own. His fists flew, sending one fireball after another at Ozai, who was circling him with the aided speed of his firebending.

Suddenly Ozai changed course and headed straight for Zuko. Zuko retaliated by summoning an intense heat to his fisted hands, one that took a shape similar to a pair of daggers. Zuko swung out with a fist, trying to discourage the Fire Lord from coming closer.

Ozai allowed the attack to land, the concentrated flame leaving behind a red burn mark that instantly started to blister, all for the sake of getting a hold of Zuko's left wrist.

The pain that flared on Zuko's skin was intense, but not excruciating. It was only after Zuko had sunk down to his knees that the youth realized that the pain was meant to distract him so that Ozai could force him into the ground. Zuko summoned a flame to his free hand and lashed out at the man before him, but Ozai knocked the weak offence aside.

There was a kick to Zuko's chest and the teen was sprawled on the ground when Ozai's grip on his left wrist was released. Then the man kept a firm foot on the centre of Zuko's chest while he reached out to grasp Zuko's right arm.

"You really like to move around a lot," Ozai commented and Zuko forced his eyes open against the pain that was still pulsing in his wrist and chest. Ozai's lips twisted into a smirk that was closer to a snarl than a smile. "I'll have to find a way to keep you still." Then Ozai removed his foot from Zuko's chest, only to slam it down on the arm he was holding in his grip.

He couldn't help it, Zuko screamed. He was certain he heard bones crack from the brutal attack and barely acknowledged it when Ozai released his arm to let it fall uselessly to the ground. Everything was starting to fade to black and Zuko wondered if he was going to faint and for the briefest of moments welcomed it as a peace from the agony.

Of course it didn't last. The thick fog that had taken over Zuko's mind was vaporised in a single instant when the world exploded into vibrant colors of blood red and pure white pain and all the variations in between. And the centre of that pain was Zuko's left ankle, one Zuko didn't dare to look at even as his vision was startlingly clear and bright.

A sound that might have been a sob erupted from Zuko's scream-hoarse throat, but Zuko could do little more than lie on the ground in a broken heap, completely at Ozai's mercy.

_**To be continued…**_


	59. You Are Dead to Me

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 59**

**You Are Dead to Me**

The first thing about Zuko Ozai had ever noticed were the boy's eyes. They had taken on their true color as soon as he had been born, a molten gold that Ozai could find by looking in the mirror. Gold was the color of kings and Ozai had been young and optimistic. He had thought Ursa had birthed a born ruler, someone like himself.

Further down the line it became clear that the only thing Zuko had inherited from his father was the eye color. Everything else came from Ursa. The soft panes of the boy's face that became only more prominent as he grew were as close to his mother's as a male face could be. His mouth moved just like Ursa's would when he frowned or smiled.

Ursa had probably seen it way before Ozai. Perhaps that was why she had treasured the boy so. The woman had cultivated Zuko into her perfect legacy. And Ursa had devoted all of her love to that legacy, there was nothing else, _no one_ else, that Ursa loved more and maybe that was why even the feel of her son reminded Ozai of her; Ursa had spent years pouring a bit of herself into their eldest child. And it was showing especially now when Ozai looked down at the defiant face, the disagreeable scowl being the exact same as the last expression he had ever seen on his wife's face. Zuko was the splitting image of that proud, stupid woman.

Zuko even _sounded_ like Ursa when he spoke, his words reminding Ozai of the last time he had seen the woman: "Is there any part of you that's good or just?"

_Fire can destroy in a myriad of ways._

Blood was roaring in Zuko's ears so loud that a volcano could probably erupt without him hearing a thing. Still the youth forced himself to lift his head enough to glare at the looming form of his father. He wouldn't stay down, not until he was completely unable to get up again.

His entire body ached and his right arm wasn't moving anymore but he still managed to lift himself up from his lying down position to his knees, fixing his best glare on to aim at Ozai's face.

"Is nothing enough for you?" Zuko's lips were forming words but he wasn't sure if he was able to give voice to them. He drew strength from what he was fighting for, from what he was trying to prevent. "You'd burn down a continent without remorse." He gritted his teeth together and forced his voice to audibility. "Is there any part of you that's good or just!"

_Flames can disfigure a person, an object or a landscape beyond recognition._

They were the almost exact same words that Ozai had heard before, almost the exact same last words he had received from Ursa. Only, Ursa had asked if he was capable of being _decent_. It wasn't much to ask for, but then again, Ursa had always been modest.

It had to be Iroh's influence on the boy, Ozai mused, for Zuko to ask for such grand things. Justice was easy enough, each man made their own brand of justice that they lived by. But what was 'good' really? It was an ideal that was spoken of in stories but one incredibly scarce in the real world. Ursa had been 'good', but Ozai had never found the capability for that. He'd never seen any use for it.

"I had _her_ to be good for me."

_A small ember is enough to ruin something previously pristine and perfect._

He still couldn't hear anything but the high pitched whine that echoed in his head and tried to tell him that he was injured, that he shouldn't be getting up, but Zuko didn't need his hearing to understand the answer he was receiving.

The words Ozai formed were nothing but a buzz to Zuko, but Zuko wasn't interested in words. Words had always been superficial in his family. Zuko watched Ozai's face carefully, paying attention to every change in the man's expression.

Nothingness. That was what Zuko saw on the man's face. Ozai had no conception of goodness and he obviously didn't even care that he didn't. Did Ozai care about anything? Had there ever been any thing, any _person_, that had held worth to the man? Zuko couldn't help but think about his mother and spat out bitterly: "Did you even love her?"

_No matter how much potential for new growth it has, a burned field is still merely ashes._

How like him, Ozai found himself thinking, to ask such a thing from him. But the answer didn't matter anymore, did it? Perhaps it never had.

Ozai caught Zuko's hair in one fist and let fire form in his other hand. The boy would never learn it seemed. Perhaps another scar would help him see sense, or perhaps not. But at least the face would stop looking so much like hers.

"Not enough," Ozai spoke softly as he angled the boy's head properly. "Never enough."

Not enough to spare the woman's one legacy.

_To burn is an agony; it is a prolonged pain when your skin is slowly eaten away by heat and light_.

_**To be continued…**_

Author's Notes: This chapter got a bit delayed due to technical difficulties, but it's here now. Also, the next chapter's going to be a longer one, so it'll probably take two weeks instead of just one for me to update again.


	60. Your Spirits Beside Me

**Memories from Western Air Temple**

**Chapter 60**

**Your Spirits Beside Me**

The world had still been veiled in darkness when Aang had woken in Zuko's arms. At first Aang hadn't known what had woken him, but then he'd felt it: a burning fire deep within his stomach. Aang had quickly realized that this was what Zuko had been feeling for days now; the comet was drawing closer. In mere hours it would be visible in the sky.

A wave of panic had taken Aang over then. He had _no idea_ how he was supposed to stop an evil megalomaniac from destroying everything around him without actually _killing_ the man. Aang had been hoping something would come to him during the last days but he'd been so effectively distracted by all the drama that he had still been in square one.

Zuko had mumbled something in his sleep and suddenly Aang hadn't felt so much like a wreck anymore. The boy had taken a few calming breaths and a thought had come to him. Certainly he wasn't the first Avatar with this sort of a responsibility. There had to have been an Avatar before him conflicted over a difficult situation.

That thought had pulled Aang away from Zuko's side, and drawn the airbender out to the vast planes outside the camp. He had needed to find a good place to meditate. A place where the separation of the realms had been weakened and Aang could call out the spirits connected to him.

Aang had recognized the right spot on feeling alone. The air around the area had been tense, but the sensation had also been faded. There had been a shrine or a small temple nearby, possibly some time ago. All visible signs of a place of worship were gone, but the spirit that had frequented the area had left behind traces of its power. While humans would forget their temples in a couple of generations, spirits would always remember.

The spot wasn't much more than a couple of rocks piled on each other but Aang had quickly erected a half-dome of earth to bow over him and keep him from being distracted by anything while he was meditating. Then Aang had called out to the depths of his own soul.

Sinking into meditation like Guru Pathik had thought him, Aang created something tangible within his mind, not unlike the path he had last created to reach the Avatar State. The Avatar State was unreachable now, but not the spirits of the Avatars before him; those were all a part of him.

Four spirits appeared in a half-circle; two of them Aang recognized easily. Aang had spoken with Roku many times before, and there was no mistaking Kyoshi's hulking form. Beside Kyoshi stood a man in Water Tribe garb and the last one was an Air Nomad woman. They were the complete last circle of Avatars right before Aang himself.

"You are troubled, Aang," Roku spoke out, his voice a guiding comfort even now, and Aang started pouring out his troubles with no more prompting than that required.

"The Fire Lord is attacking the Earth Kingdom today, and I know I have to be the one to stop him, I just don't know _how_. Every time before I just needed to be quick or clever to make due, or sometimes I actually needed raw power but, this time, it seems like I'm going to have to be _ruthless_ too, and I'm not sure I have that in me." Aang's gaze moved over the four previous Avatars, all so steady, sure and strong. "I don't have a plan."

"Sometimes, you don't need one," Roku started. "Sometimes, all you can do is react to the situation at hand, even if it leads you down a path you'd prefer not to take."

"The important thing is to take responsibility for your actions," the Air Nomad Avatar continued after Roku. "Do not seek excuses from us."

Kyoshi looked more like a rock than any other person Aang had ever encountered, her face stony and voice deep as she spoke: "You know I killed Chin the Conqueror and that I do not excuse my actions. Only when taking responsibility for the bad can I take credit for the good I have done. I saved my people."

"The most important thing is that you understand that, whatever you do, the consequences are on you." The Water Tribe Avatar joined in. "I didn't do my duty, and the evil spirit Koh took my lover. I bear the guilt and responsibility for my inaction when I lost her."

This wasn't helping; it was only making the situation seem worse. Aang knew he had to make the others understand.

"I can't just kill him. I saw what almost killing Azula did to Zuko. By killing a person, you take away something precious from another human being and also break something inside yourself." Aang gave the gathered Avatars a desperate look. "Not only is killing not something to be taken lightly, it shouldn't have to be considered at all." The boy turned his gaze to the Air Nomad Avatar. "Isn't that what the monks at the temple taught?"

The woman nodded her head, conceding, but before Aang could celebrate his victory she spoke out: "You truly are honouring the lifestyle of the Air Nomads but, Aang, that is only admirable in an airbender. For the Avatar such ideals only hinder you from fulfilling your duty."

"What Yangchen is trying to say is that you're being a spineless coward and should pull yourself together and rid the world of that madman," Kyoshi's unforgiving voice cut in mercilessly.

"And here I thought at least _one_ of you would tell me to stay true to myself…" Aang grumbled to himself with distaste. He gave the other Avatars, by his own estimation, what must have been a pretty impressive glare. "You guys are the worst spirit advisors ever!"

The Water Tribe Avatar actually sounded amused when he said: "Well, think of it this way: all of us, no matter how powerful, were all just human beings. Talking to us is like asking help from any group of people." There was a moment of silence when all the other Avatars turned to give him a look. The man coughed into his fist before pressing on: "But, of course, we've all been the Avatar at one point or another, so we're privileged in the knowledge we have. Also, we're older than you, so you can count on our life experience."

Yeah, for all the good it did him. Although there was no way Aang was going to say those thoughts out loud. Instead he found his thoughts wandering to the task at hand, to the world, the people he needed to protect. Zuko...

"You need to leave now," Roku spoke out suddenly and Aang started to protest: "You haven't even given me any good advice yet!"

"We are not here to solve your problems for you," Kyoshi spoke coldly. "We are equals, to help sort your thoughts."

"The one you're thinking of, he's in grave danger." Aang didn't question how Roku knew that; there were several possibilities, all of which were likely options. All Aang cared about was the fact that, because there _were_ so many options, Roku couldn't be wrong.

"How will I know which way to go?" Aang asked worriedly. He had just then realized that he had no way of knowing Zuko's exact location.

"You are the Avatar," Roku spoke out. "All spirits are inclined to assist you, even if in a self-serving or roundabout way."

Aang could see the truth in the words. When he had been forced to turn to Koh for assistance, the spirit had seen Aang as prey, and yet it had helped him in the end. So Aang nodded his head, gave a quick thanks, and opened his eyes to the real world.

It took Aang several tries, but finally Aang did manage to call into his mind the same kind of guide that had led him to Appa once. All the spirits in the world really were on his side, especially today, and that started a plan forming in Aang's thoughts as he dashed off with enough speed to outrun any hurricane.

Guided by the invisible spirits of the nature, Aang arrived on the battlefield, where all thoughts of a half-baked plan vanished from his mind. There was Zuko, but he was on the ground, on his knees, and Ozai had a tight hold of his hair. The only thoughts going through Aang's mind after seeing that were about how Ozai had Zuko, was going to hurt Zuko, and how Aang would never allow that to happen.

The sudden wave or rage that filled Aang's mind dissipated only after he'd slammed against Ozai as hard as he could, wrapped up in a cocoon of stone that had been formed as almost an afterthought. The suddenness of his attack had Ozai unable to defend himself and when the man was sent sprawling, Aang wasted no time checking Zuko over.

"Are you alright?" Aang snapped quickly. There were no outward injuries worse than bruises, but Zuko was cradling his right wrist to his chest and seemed to be unable to stand. The flaming hand Ozai had been about to press to Zuko's face had burned away some of Zuko's bangs but that wasn't the end of the world.

"Yes, I'm fine." Zuko winced, then changed his mind. "No, I'm really not. You have no idea how glad I am you showed up when you did. I don't think I can remember when I last hurt this much." The firebender's expression darkened. "Actually, I can. Quite lividly." A moment of silence passed before Zuko seemed to brush the matter aside to focus on Aang. "Are you ready for this, Aang?"

Zuko had been honest with him, so Aang decided to return the favour: "No, I'm not, not really. But I'm going to do this anyway." The boy managed a weak chuckle. "You know, for all the trouble it ended up being, I wouldn't mind having my Avatar State right now." Aang had explained all about his clogged chakras to Zuko during the time Zuko had spent on the team, but only just now did the mention of them bring a thoughtful look on Zuko's face.

"Come closer," Zuko spoke hurriedly. "Before Ozai gets up again."

Aang did as was instructed and Zuko brought his uninjured arm around Aang, the hand slipping under the folds of the other's clothes to find the exact place of the scar Azula's attack had left behind. Immediately Aang started feeling heat radiate from the spot.

"No blockage can stop the flow of life, at least when it's given a little boost." Zuko licked his upper lip in concentration and Aang could _feel_ the life bending opening up a path for his energy, his _life_ energy, to flow freely. "Life should be free."

It was a familiar sensation, but one that had been gone for so that Aang had almost forgotten what it felt like. It was more than a thousand souls flowing through his body at once, generation after generation of the greatest champions of the world.

It was pure power.

_**To be continued…**_

Author's Notes: Sorry about not introducing the Avatars, but I felt an introductions sequence would have broken the spacing a bit too much. Also, my favorite Avatars to write were Kyoshi and Kuruk, mostly because Kyoshi reminds me of Batman and Kuruk reminds me of the Flash. Haha.


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